Former Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott resigns city administrator's post in Cleveland Heights, Ohio

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Former three-term Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott returned to municipal government in March 2022 when he was hired as the first city administrator in the history of Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

Former Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott.
Former Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott.

Less than one year later, Sinnott is leaving that post for another job, telling Cleveland Heights officials that “an opportunity in government back in Pennsylvania was too compelling to pass up.”

Sinnott, 57, announced his resignation Monday, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of his hiring, Cleveland.com reported. Sinnott told members of Cleveland Heights City Council that he will step down at the end of March.

City administrator was a new position in Cleveland Heights, a Cleveland suburb with a population of 45,312, and Sinnott was the first person to serve in the post.

According to the Cleveland.com report, Sinnott told Cleveland Heights City Council members “he’d had no intention of leaving so early in his tenure and was not looking for another job, however ‘an opportunity in government back in Pennsylvania was too compelling to pass up.

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“Sinnott declined further comment at this time on what that new job will be, telling council there were ‘no negative connotations or inferences’ to be drawn from his departure,” the publication reported.

Sinnott, hired by Cleveland Heights on March 21, 2022, could not immediately be reached for comment. He earned $128,000 annually, according to Cleveland Heights officials.

Sinnott earned $95,000 a year as Erie's mayor.

From January 2006 through December 2017, Sinnott served as Erie’s mayor, leaving office because of the city's three-term limit. Sinnott ran unsuccessfully for Erie County judge in 2019.

A Democrat, Sinnott is an Erie native, lawyer and a former member of Erie City Council. He graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland and had previously lived in the area.

Sinnott had practiced law in Erie since he left Erie City Hall.

Cleveland.com reported that Sinnott thanked Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren for the chance “to be a part of something historic” in helping to set up a new city administration. Sinnott was selected for the job from a field of more than 50 candidates.

“He was the right person at the right time, and it’s a shame to lose such a great partner,” Seren said. “His understanding of government and attention to detail have been critical to restructuring the city’s functions and retooling its systems.

“Joe Sinnott will be a hard act to follow,” Seren said. “But his work this year has set the stage well for our next city administrator’s success.”

Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNflowers.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Joe Sinnott, former Erie mayor, resigns post in Cleveland Heights