The Cleveland Heights City Council held a special meeting on June 25, 2025, primarily to discuss and approve an ordinance authorizing the mayor to engage independent legal counsel, specifically Steve Byron from Singerman Mills Desburg and CR. This decision was driven by conflicts of interest arising within the city's law department, which has represented multiple neighboring communities, creating legal conflicts when representing the council. The council emphasized that this engagement is necessary to ensure unbiased legal advice, with a budget cap of $25,000 and an hourly rate of $350. The council plans to use this legal counsel on an as-needed basis, with requests coordinated through the council president. The meeting underscored the importance of maintaining clear boundaries between the city administration and council legal representation while acknowledging the continued reliance on the city law department for other legal matters.

Cleveland Heights Special City Council Meeting June 25, 2025