Former Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan could soon become the second-in-command in the Cleveland Heights mayor’s office.
Cleveland Heights Mayor Khalil Seren announced on Monday afternoon that he nominated Horrigan, 62, to fill the city administrator position that will be vacated when the current administrator retires at the end of the year.
Cleveland Heights City Council must approve his appointment, the announcement said. Horrigan was elected as Akron’s mayor in 2015, serving two terms before deciding not to run in the 2023 election. He was previously the clerk of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas and a Ward 1 Akron City Council member.
With about 45,000 residents, according to the latest census data, Cleveland Heights is less than a quarter of Akron’s size.
In the Cleveland Heights government structure, the city administrator role that Horrigan may soon hold reports to the mayor and oversees the public works, parks and recreation, information technology, finance and communications and public engagement departments. The law, public safety and planning departments report directly to the mayor.
“I’ve always said I want to work more than I want to run [for office],” Horrigan said in the press release. “I think public service is very noble. It’s an honor to work in the field, and it would be an honor to serve this function in Cleveland Heights.”
Seren said the city would be fortunate to have Horrigan. “We are making progress building out City departments and streamlining processes, and Dan’s steady leadership and insights into the workings of a mid-sized municipal government will make him, if approved by Council, an enormous resource for the City.”