CLEVELAND — Former Cleveland City Councilman Jeffrey Johnson, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2017, has taken a top job in the Cleveland Housing Court.
Newly elected Cleveland Housing Court Judge W. Mona Scott hired Johnson, who started today, to be the court’s Chief Housing Specialist. The position oversees a staff of court employees who work with tenants and landlords and provide community outreach. More recently, Johnson was active in efforts to push the city of Cleveland to impose new safety requirements on landlords whose properties have lead-based paint contamination.
Scott defeated incumbent Cleveland Housing Court Judge Ronald O’Leary in November. O’Leary was appointed to the bench following the 2017 death of the previous long-serving judge, Ray Pianka. O’Learly was then elected to serve out Pianka’s term.
Scott, who began a six-year term on Jan. 2, also hired Ryan Miday to be her public information officer. Miday previously worked for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley.
Miday could not be reached Monday to comment on Johnson’s hiring or the housing court’s recent turnover.
This post will be updated as more information becomes available.
