UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan faced a barrage of criticism from residents during Monday’s (Nov. 18) City Council meeting over a post-election Facebook posting he made on his mayoral account that was critical of residents who voted for President-elect Donald Trump Nov. 5,and ofcertain council members.
Still, he did not back down from what he had written.
More than 70 residents filled the council chamber with many speaking against the posts during the meeting’s public portion. Those in attendance then waited to see council pass, by a 7-0 vote, a resolution censuring Brennan for his online remarks.
A censure is a formal, public denouncement of improper conduct.
In his post, Brennan had noted that two precincts, Precincts H and I, bucked the trend in the rest of the city, which voted more than 80 percent blue for Vice President Kamala Harris. The two precincts supported Trump for president by more than 70 percent.
Brennan noted that the two precincts are home to registered Republicans in the persons of Vice Mayor Michele Weiss (also the city’s Republican leader) and Councilwoman Sheri Sax. He wrote that Weiss and Sax campaigned together in the last council election in 2023 with registered Democrats, Council members Win Weizer, John Rach and Threse Marshall.
Brennan said the named Democratic council members “all owe their seats on council to Weiss and Sax and their red campaign money.”
“They work in lock step in opposition to my work as mayor, and are responsible for the dysfunction and strident tone in city government,” Brennan wrote about the five council members.
The mayor then went on to post Nov. 6 what upset most of those who spoke at the meeting. Brennan asked that the more than 4,000 in the city who voted for Harris “remember and pay close attention to who the Trumpies are in city government and to vote your values in next year’s municipal election.
“It is more important than ever that we clean up local government,” he concluded, “and have at least one level of government that represents our values.”
The posting drew more than 300 responses, many of which were in opposition and deleted, before the entire posting was removed. Brennan said of the deletion that his comments had been “misinterpreted.”
Many of Precinct H and I’s residents are Orthodox Jews, including Weiss and Sax. According to The Jewish Chronicle, 74 percent of Orthodox Jews nationally supported Trump.
Several Jewish residents spoke out against Brennan and his postings on Monday. The first speaker, a woman who has lived in the city 10 years, told Brennan he was guilty of using “divisive and, quite frankly, hateful language.”
She, like most speakers, received loud and lengthy rounds of applause after giving their statements.
Rabbi Raphael Davidovich said he was troubled by the fact Brennan posted on his mayoral Facebook page, rather than his personal page.
Davidovich said, “In a political capacity, (Brennan) pointed out, ’Here, oh citizens, here are the people I am against’ — pointing out those two precincts.
“In this way, he joined the voice of, unfortunately many in the last few years, who’ve chosen, in various capacities, to frighten the Jewish people both on university campuses across the country and in many places around the world, especially in Western Europe.”
A Wrenford Road man who said he grew up in Communist Russia, stated, “When I read this post — it’s quite honestly scary.
“A comment like that from a politician is basically saying, ‘Here’s the bad guys. We’re the good guys. Now it’s up to you.” He said that perhaps Brennan is in need of sensitivity training.
“I’m sorry to say,” said resident Cassandra Howell, “as much as Mayor Brennan abhors President-elect Donald Trump, I find that his rhetoiric is equally as divisive as the president-elect.”
Miramar Boulevard resident Daniel Grand said that in a free and fair election, the people have spoken and their will is known. He said that Brennan “has what it takes” as a mayor, but urged him to “do the right thing.” Grand said Brennan’s rhetoric has made University Heights, in some eyes, ”University Hates.”
Councilman John Rauch said that he has heard too often University Heights spoken about in unpleasant terms because of Brennan’s comments and actions.
“It just seems week after week there’s headlines in the city, and they’re not always good headlines,” Rach said. “Quite frankly, it’s embarrassing. All the time, I get it from residents, but I also get it from non-residents — ‘What is up with your mayor?”
The audience again responded with applause.
A Silsby Road man urged council to censure Brennan, stating that the mayor has lost the confidence of his constituency. Meanwhile, Tina Byer, who was part of a group of residents who attempted in the spring to recall Brennan from office, asked for his resignation.
It was the second censure for Brennan, as council also exercised that option in March, 2021, after he used “profane and vulgar” language while speaking to a resident during a phone call.
Monday’s censure language stated that Brennan identified precincts inhabited predominantly by Orthodox Jews and Catholics and “needlessly conflated the national presidential election with local politics to incite division among residents.”
It also states that, “Mayor Brennan regularly blocks residents (from posts) and hides only the negative comments on his Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan social media account, despite the opinion of the City’s former Law Director (Luke McConville) that such conduct was in violation of the law.”
The censure notes that Brennan was elected to represent all residents, and not just Democrats, and that, “the right to vote for a Presidential candidate of one’s choice is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of our country’s democratic process.”
In response to the comments made against him and his posting, Brennan said during his mayor’s report, amid some jeering from the audience, “As mayor, indeed, as a citizen of this city and community, I have opinions on matters of public interest. As a community leader, I share those opinions.
“Sometimes, I share those opinions with eloquence, and sometimes I fail to do so. Which is why I took down some comments that were unclear and therefore misunderstood. The outcome of the November 5th election is disappointing, but I take heart that results locally uphold democratic values by better than a two-to-one margin.
“As someone who stands for: The rights of women, including their right to bodily autonomy; the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community — including the T for trans people; the rights of people of color and Black Americans especially — including through the continued support of the city’s Juneteenth celebration, which has been opposed by three members of this council repeatedly, and without apology or censure for their racist or racially tinged comments.”
Brennan referred to some council members as racist in March during a council discussion about security at the city’s Juneteenth celebration.
“I stand for and support the religious and the non-religious,” he said. “And I support the freedom of all to live and let live. Most of all, I support the rule of law and equal justice under the law. None of these things are or should be radical. All of these things are under threat at all levels of government including this one.
“I have a duty to stand up for what is right. As mayor, I did not check at the city hall door my opinions or my right to express them. Quite the contrary. I have an obligation to speak out and speak up in support of democracy when it is under attack. And members of this council. They are free to engage in using their freedom of speech to criticize me for using mine.
“They are free to use their political speech to stir people up, and to launch their next campaign – as clearly some are doing here this evening. But what the council does not have the right to do is misstate and fabricate the record with their proposed resolution. I have not violated my oath of office. There is no evidence that I have, and they cannot prove that I have, for I have not.
“Mere political disagreement is not a violation of my oath of office. To say that it is, is false. And the council has a legal obligation to ensure that what they put in their resolution is neither false nor in reckless disregard of what is false.”
Councilwoman Win Weizer told Brennan her belief that the mayor was, by posting the comments, setting up his 2025 re-election campaign, ensuring that voters in the mostly Democratic city know he is a staunch Democrat. Weizer said that it is important that Brennan realize that his posting created fear among some residents.
Brennan, on the other, stated that his posting should not have lead any resident to believe they would not receive all the services, including safety, the city offers.
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