The City of Lakewood is located on the southern shores of Lake Erie in Northeast Ohio and part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, approximately five miles west of downtown Cleveland. Originally a forested wilderness settled by Native Americans, Lakewood grew with the streetcar infrastructure to become the first suburb west of Cleveland. Originally organized as a hamlet in 1889, Lakewood incorporated as a village in 1903 and as a city in 1911. Lakewood is recognized as a beautiful city of historic homes and a residential community of 5.53 square miles and 50,942 residents, making it the third largest city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, according to the 2020 Federal Census. Lakewood enjoys proximity to major cultural, educational, and medical facilities in Northeast Ohio, with ease of access to many interstate highways and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, making it a desirable location for residents and commercial enterprises. Lakewood operates and is governed by the laws of the State of Ohio, and its city charter provides for a mayor-council form of government. The mayor is elected to a four-year term, serving as the City’s full-time chief executive and administrative officer. Legislative authority is vested in a seven-member part-time council, consisting of four members serving their ward, and three serving at-large. Terms of Council members are staggered between two groups that are elected and serve four-year terms. The City is also served by the Lakewood Municipal Court, whose jurisdiction includes the City of Lakewood, portions of the Cleveland Metroparks, U.S. Interstate 90 and adjacent Lake Erie waters to the Canadian border. Criminal and Traffic jurisdiction includes all misdemeanor classifications, and felony arraignments and preliminary hearing proceedings. Monetary jurisdiction in Civil Proceedings is $15,000 while Small Claims Proceedings is limited to $6,000. The elected presiding judge serves a six-year term.