Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio-East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King is facing a recall effort after the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on Thursday certified 322 valid petition signatures,11 more than the 311 needed to put the issue before voters, likely for the Nov 8 general election.

Per the city charter, the Black mayor has until Aug. 18 to resign or face a recall vote in November. If the recall is successful Council President Nathaniel Martin will step up as mayor until a runoff election can be held in early 2023.

Governed by a mayor and city council, East Cleveland is a 99 percent Black and impoverished suburb of Cleveland. It has a population of some 14,000 people and 59 percent of household income is less than $25,000. It is one of the poorest cities in Ohio with a majority of its residents living below the poverty line. Its mayor and members of city council are all Democrats

The city has been under fiscal emergency for the last decade.

William Fambrough, who supported Councilwoman Juanita Gowdy in her unsuccessful effort to unseat King via last year's primary election is spearheading the recall effort as a member of a citizens group that says King has permitted police to abuse their power and that he and police are undermining city council's authority.The mayor is also accused of misappropriating city monies and retaliating against his political rivals with malicious prosecutions at the hands of city law director Willa Simmons.

Then the vice president of city council, King succeeded former mayor Gary Norton into office in December of 2016 by succession, and after East Cleveland voters recalled Norton and the council president. That recall effort organized by activists who complained that Norton was fiscally irresponsible and was supporting a now defunct merger proposal with East Cleveland and neighboring Cleveland King has since won election in 2017 and reelction 2021.

Mayor King, 54, was born and raised in East Cleveland, and he holds an MBA from the Ohio State University.

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