Toledo voters will decide tomorrow who they want to run the city: former Fire Chief Mike Bell or attorney Keith Wilkowski.
Whoever takes office will face the economic crisis that has hit Toledo – a manufacturing community – especially hard.
Their platforms include creating jobs, ensuring public safety and balancing a budget.
The next mayor will replace the embattled Carty Finkbeiner, who announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election. A group called Take Back Toledo has circulated petitions to oust him from office.
Residents who live in the Toledo city limits will be eligible to vote.
Mike Bell – Independent
Political/Career Experience: 1980: Joined the Toledo Department of Fire and Rescue as a firefighter 1990-2007: Appointed Chief of Toledo Fire and Rescue Department 2007: Appointed Ohio State Fire Marshall by Gov. Ted Strickland Platforms
1) Ensure public safety assuring ample manpower and equipment to permit police and fire forces to do their jobs assuring a fire and EMS response time goal of six minutes within Toledo city limits increasing the number of police officers on the street and protect critical investigation and crime prevention functions
2) Balance the city’s budget eliminating ‘wastes’ from the city’s budget which include removing redundancy in services, providing and keeping service delivery and budgeting concise launching a ‘citizen’s special investigation’ task force to conduct a 90-day study of Toledo’s finances and generate data needed to work out cost-cutting solutions to city government initiating a 100 percent transparency policy for customer service in city government
3) Create jobs through developing regional economy developing a ‘quick launch’ plan to improve and cultivate northwest Ohio’s relationship with Columbus establishing a plan to connect intermodal transportation resources to effectively utilize water, air, rail and highway modes increasing revenues without increasing taxes by cultivating business and government partnerships
4) Improve our schools requesting quarterly meetings with the board of education and superintendent to make Toledo Public Schools competitive establishing benchmarks for higher performance in classrooms advocating a joint City of Toledo-Toledo Public Schools program to identify and intercept ‘at risk’ students
5) Stabilize our neighborhoods establishing a multi-departmental City Task Force that will review processes and protocols for neglected city properties and prosecuting their respective owners introducing the ‘Work for Toledo’ program accepting up to 200 unemployed Toledo residents to volunteer on a variety of civic beautification in exchange for health care coverage establishing ‘Neighborhood Business Centers’ where Toledo would work with private/community development organizations to renovate and market existing structures.
6) Encouraging health and wellness forging a partnership with medical organizations and providers to create a comprehensive approach to promote healthy living working with all parks and recreation facilities, finding ways to ensure that they can continue operating under the current budget crisis promoting bringing in more farmers’ markets and other regional businesses that are growing and producing healthy, fresh foods
7) Promote cultural diversity and city attractions kicking off a ‘Doors Open’ program exposing opportunities for residents to connect with familiar places in new ways (as a tourist would) utilizing social networking and coordinating events through Web sites such as Facebook and blogs to create awareness of events
Source: Mayor’s Official Web sites: ‘Mike Bell for Toledo’ (http://www.mikebellfortoledo.com/)
Keith Wilkowski-Democrat
Political/Career Experience: 1983: Elected to the Toledo Board of Education, serving as president and vice president 1988: Elected as Lucas County Commissioner 1990: Became Toledo City Law Director 1994-97: Served as chair of the Lucas County Democratic Party 2005: Finished third in Toledo mayoral election.
Platforms:
1) Acquire regional support for the Wilkowski Economic Development Plan creating manufacturing jobs, green collar construction jobs, high-technology and knowledge-based jobs, transportation jobs and small business jobs ensuring Toledo has low, competitive tax rates promoting Toledo businesses by innovating income tax credits for those who create patents in environmental and technological fields
2) Maintain public safety and ensure security for residents and businesses recalling Toledo police officers who were laid off last month expanding and supporting the Block Watch Program – a neighborhood watch community focusing on domestic violence prevention and intervention
3) Reforming city government creating a taxpayer’s advocate to give citizens a direct say in matters and affairs they pay for using technology to identify and solve problems
4) Preserving and rebuilding neighborhoods charging city employees with the responsibility for damaged, vandalized and broken property seeking court orders directing the clean-up of blighted properties
5) Education establishing a ‘Toledo Promise’ program to give high school students a chance to attend four years of college tuition free conducting regular meetings with all school leaders on neighborhood issues of common concern
Source:’Keith Wilkowski, Democrat for Mayor’ (http://keithwilkowski.com/)
