The Truth Staff
Lucas County Recorder Michael Ashford brought together friends, colleagues and supporters on Tuesday evening, October 14, for a political fundraiser at the Peacock Café. During his address to those gathered in the Café meeting room, Ashford spoke of the necessity of being prepared in life and of the need for elected officials to be pro-active and take stances against injustices. He also introduced two candidates for Toledo City Council that he is endorsing.
Ashford introduced Debroah Barnett, who organizes a series of workshops titled “Getting Your Affairs in Order,” in partnership with the Area Office on Aging and UAW Local 12. The workshops are designed to inform attendees on a number of issues – financial, legal, insurance, communication with loved ones – that can protect an individual and his or her family as circumstancess change in life – death, illness, accidents, for example.
“I encourage you to have difficult conversations, necessary conversation,” Barnett told the audience.
Ashford recalled his years of service as an elected official with the city and the state and his term as the leader of the Lucas County Democratic Party – that ended in 2023. He voiced his displeasure with other elected officials who have ignored injustices over the years for the sake of political expediency.
“I’m not happy” with some elected officials, he said. “When I see a police officer and he takes his attack dog and he lets that dog go and [maul someone] and our elected officials say nothing …”
Ashford spoke of his own difficulties with the Democratic Party in the past because of his refusal to always toe the party line – especially when it comes to who to endorse.
“I can’t tell you who to vote against,” he said, “but I can tell you who to vote for.”
And that he did. He introduced two candidates for the at-large City Council seats. Blair Johnson, an independent and first time-candidate for elected office, and City Councilwoman Brittany Jones, PhD, were both in attendance to receive Ashford’s blessing and to put their cases forward.
Johnson, a contractor, said he is “brining a new approach to council.” One of his primary concerns is the lack of maintenance within the city. “I’m talking all levels,” he noted while decrying “the customed tailored fix to these issue … not one size fits all.”
Johnson’s desire to run for political office arose when he felt that he, as an ordinary resident, was not “getting the service I felt I deserved as a citizen.”
Jones, an academic, an urban planner and a non-profit (United Way) operative, was appointed to council in early 2024 and won a special election later that year. “I am an independent thinker, I’m a researcher.” Combining her various issues, Jones asked “how can we get healthy and also make some money … at United Way, I talk to community organizers and [offer data].”
Emphasizing the importance of gathering information and data, Jones added “ there can’t be a blanket solution … we have to talk to everyone and see what makes sense.”
The Ashford fundraiser buffet was catered by Joanne Menefree and Gwen Wyse of Tastefully Two Catering and Event Planning