By Rev. Donald L. Perryman, Ph.D.
The Truth Contributor
The future belongs to those who organize it. – Ralph Helstein
The mad scramble to replace Carrie Hartman’s unexpected and seemingly sudden resignation as president of Toledo City Council will reveal not only who’s ambitious, but also who truly understands the mechanics of power.
Names of potential successors currently circulating include Vanice Williams, Nick Komives, Teresa Morris and Cerssandra McPherson, among others. Each brings energy and experience, but their ability to organize a winning coalition remains to be seen. “They’re scraping but not all on the same page and are unable to lobby for the votes to give them a majority,” one anonymous source confided. “They don’t know how to caucus.”
That word — caucus — holds the key to Toledo’s political future.
Williams has been heavily campaigning for the position. She appears to be the early frontrunner, thanks to her close alignment with Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, who casts a large shadow over One Government Center. Her relationship with the administration could give the mayor what every municipal chief executive wants — a cooperative council president.
Critics, however, see this as a liability. “If the mayor doesn’t have somebody willing to rubber-stamp everything he wants, he’s got a big problem,” another political observer told me. Williams could solve that conundrum, but in doing so, she may also confirm concerns about city council’s independence.
Komives, respected for his policy focus, is also “working it, absolutely,” but has yet to garner a visible coalition. Morris, the current vice president, is steady and respected but non-committal. McPherson, a perennial hopeful, possesses community credibility but has secured limited traction thus far.
A finalist will soon emerge, but whoever prevails, the deeper question is whether the process will produce leadership — or merely management.
The Missing Bloc
Today, African American members hold four of Toledo City Council’s twelve seats, and those of Hispanic heritage occupy two others.
Yet their collective power remains underdeveloped. Despite numerical strength, there is little evidence of strategic unity — no common agenda, no disciplined caucus, no shared approach to bargaining for influence or resources.
That absence matters. Because six votes, when organized, can determine what legislation advances, what committees matter and who becomes president.
But six individual votes, cast separately, will continue to be ignored. Therefore, it is essential now to elect someone as president of the council who can effectively unite people.
If Toledo’s Black leadership acted with the same strategic purpose that animated the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) in Washington, D.C., which famously declared that “Black people have no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests,” they could transform city governance.
Imagine a Toledo Council Black Caucus (TCBC) that negotiates together as a bloc: “We’ll deliver our four or six votes for president (or other agenda items) if our communities receive proportional resources, investment, and respect.” That’s not division; that’s democracy at work.
A Short-Term Presidency, a Long-Term Test
Hartman’s successor will serve only until January, when a new council reorganizes. But symbols matter, and who ultimately grasps the gavel could redefine how Toledo governs itself in the future. Will city council mirror the mayor’s office or more directly reflect the will of the community and voters?
The truth is: Representation without coordination produces visibility but not results. Therefore, the next level of Toledo’s Black political maturity requires moving “from just being at the table to setting the menu.”
From Representation to Power
The Congressional Black Caucus, established in 1971 as a non-partisan caucus to “positively influence the course of events pertinent to African Americans and others of similar experience and situation,” taught us that political maturity begins with unity of purpose.
Founders Charles Diggs of Michigan, Shirley Chisholm of New York, Louis Stokes of Ohio and Bill Clay of Missouri didn’t wait to be invited; they organized, negotiated and insisted on reciprocity. Toledo’s Black leadership has that same opportunity now — to caucus, unify, coordinate and claim what has long been theirs by right and representation.
While Toledo wrestles with economic inequity and inadequate resources, the next council president may only serve a few months. But what happens between now and then could determine whether Toledo remains a city managed by personalities — or led by a coalition with purpose.
For certain, Carrie Hartman’s resignation leaves a vacuum. The question is whether Toledo’s Black leadership will harness its power or let it pass them by, continuing to leave our community on the outside looking in.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, PhD, at drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org