SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- City Council is beginning the task of finding its next member -- the person who will replace Councilman-at-large Marty Gelfand, who has resigned from council effective July 1.
Gelfand, 60, announced to his council colleagues on May 26 that he and his family would be moving to Cleveland Heights, specifically to a home that his wife owned when they were married and that the couple has used as a rental home for the past 13 years while living on Eastway Road in South Euclid. They have an 11-year-old daughter, Eden.
Gelfand, chair of council’s Safety Committee, had served on council since 2011, winning election three times. He served at what is expected to be his final council meeting, an online Zoom meeting, on June 22.
City Council will be accepting applications from interested residents until 1 p.m. July 9. Eligible candidates must be a qualified elector in the city of South Euclid and must have continuously resided in the city for at least the past three years.
Applications are now available at South Euclid City Hall, 1349 S. Green Road, and on the city’s homepage, cityofsoutheuclid.com.
Printed applications will be available for pick up at City Hall by entering through the back lobby, where the applications can be found in the container bin by the police department.
All applications shall be submitted to the attention of Keith Benjamin, Clerk of Council, South Euclid City Hall, 1349 S. Green Road, South Euclid, Ohio, 44121, and will also be accepted via email to kbenjamin@seuclid.com.
No late applications will be accepted.
The chosen applicant must run for re-election at the General Election to be held in November 2021.
Council has 30 days from Gelfand’s resignation date to select his replacement.
Council last dealt with a resignation in April 2019, when former councilman-at-large Jason Russell left his position to help plan his wedding and allow for more time for him to work at his job.
After Russell’s resignation, council interviewed several candidates, but were unable to decide on Russell’s replacement. In accordance with the city’s charter, it fell to Mayor Georgine Welo to select the next at-large councilman, and she selected current Councilman-at-large Justin Tisdale in July of last year.
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