EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has certified a petition to recall the mayor of East Cleveland, Brandon King. Under East Cleveland’s charter, Mayor King has until Thursday to resign his position or face a recall election in November.
Elections officials certified last week that the petition to recall Mayor King had garnered 322 valid signatures. A total of 311 signatures was required to bring the issue to voters. Supporters of the recall effort, including city council members Korean Stevenson and Patricia Blochowiak, have alleged that Mayor King and his administration have mismanaged city resources and further exacerbated the city’s fiscal emergency.
“The City of East Cleveland residents must make a choice; a choice to continue down this path of destruction and ill-repute or turn and save what is left of our city,” Stevenson said.
William Fambrough, one of the organizers of the recall initiative, filed a lawsuit against the city and Mayor King earlier this year, alleging that the mayor allowed East Cleveland police to abuse their power and suppress his freedom of speech. Fambrough specifically alleged that police towed a van that he was using to promote one of King’s opponents in the primary.
In a press conference outside city hall Monday, city council member Patricia Blochowiak alleged that Mayor King has routinely spent public money that had not yet been appropriated by the city council.
Additionally, Blochowiak alleged that the city has routinely done business with contractors and businesses without having a signed and executed contract. Blochowiak said officials have passed the information along to state and federal law enforcement.
“We have a situation where laws have been broken and we have a situation where we have major mismanagement,” If this keeps going on, the city is going to fall apart entirely.”
Under the city charter, King has until Aug. 18 to resign. If he does not resign, King’s position as mayor will again go to the voters on Nov. 8. King had just secured a second term in late 2021. If the voters opt to recall King, a run-off election must be held within 6 months.
News 5 has reached out to Mayor King multiple times since last week and a reporter stopped by his office Monday afternoon. One of the mayor’s assistants said he would not be available for the rest of the day.
“This is our precipice. This is where the rubber meets the road, East Cleveland. Our choice on Nov. 8 will determine our future, if we are to have one,” Stevenson said.
