Ralph J. Perk (1914-1999) was a city councilman, Cuyahoga County Auditor, and mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. A native Clevelander, he began his career in politics as a councilman representing the Broadway and East 55th Street area (the old thirteenth ward) from 1953 to 1963. A Republican, he served as county auditor from 1963 to 1971, the first county-wide elected GOP official since the early 1930s. Perk ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1965 and in 1969, but won in 1971 when he ran against Arnold Pinkney and James Carney to become the first Republican mayor in Cleveland since Harold H. Burton left office in 1941. Faced with financial difficulties, Perk sought to balance the city's budget by drawing on existing bond funds and general revenue sharing funds to cover the deficit. The city sewer and public transit systems were transferred to regional authorities in an attempt to raise revenue, reduce operating costs, and improve sources. As one of a few big city Republican mayors and a strong supporter of President Richard Nixon, Perk's administration received financial support from the Nixon administration in the form of several federal grants, including $22 million to help fight crime. A citywide emergency medical service was also started with the help of federal funds. In 1977, Perk conducted a survey on pornography in order to determine what Cleveland's community standards on the subject were. He hoped to use the results of the survey to reduce the availability of pornographic materials. During Perk's tenure several announced programs never came to fruition, including the Ohio World Trade Center and a permanently-docked ocean cruiser on the lakefront to serve as a hotel. The Justice Center, a joint project of the city and Cuyahoga County, was completed. A Czech-American, Perk was seen as a national leader on ethnic issues and was active in various national organizations, including the Nationalities Heritage Commission and a committee to address ethnic concerns of Gerald Ford's 1976 re-election campaign. Perk ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 1974 when former astronaut John Glenn defeated him. This loss did not prevent Perk from winning a solid mayoral re-election victory in 1975. In 1977, however, he was defeated in the non-partisan primary and retired from politics.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Ralph J. Perk
From the guide to the Ralph J. Perk Papers, 1949-1977, (Western Reserve Historical Society)
