{"id":2944,"date":"2021-10-28T12:53:48","date_gmt":"2021-10-28T12:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=2944"},"modified":"2021-10-28T13:08:11","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T13:08:11","slug":"the-candidates-in-their-own-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2021\/10\/28\/the-candidates-in-their-own-words\/","title":{"rendered":"The Candidates \u2013 In Their Own Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/strong>There are two candidates for mayor \u2013 current Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
The Candidates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe story is that Toledo, in general, is better off today than we were four years ago; there\u2019s no question about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarlier this year, we won the Site Selection Magazine Governor\u2019s Cup Award as number one nationally for economic development. That is significant.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, we finally developed a plan to fix our roads once and for all. We created a new revenue stream that never existed before, and as a result, we\u2019re fixing 15 times the number of roads this year than we did last year.\u00a0 Last year, we fixed seven residential roads; this year we\u2019re fixing 109.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdditionally, our budget is in a much better position. Our budget wasn\u2019t balanced when I became mayor.\u00a0 Today, we have the largest rainy-day fund in the City\u2019s history, literally 10 times larger than it was five years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe promises I made four years ago, I\u2019ve kept them.\u00a0 I said we\u2019re going to grow the size of the policce force, get the regional water deal done, and get the budget in order. We did all of these.\u00a0 So, looking at the big picture, there\u2019s no question we\u2019re better off than we were four years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Challenger \u2013 Former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if you could have a mayor who had done some of the following things?<\/p>\n

\u201cI brought a new Jeep plant to Toledo, Ohio.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, the very first month on the job, the CEO of Owens Corning Fiberglass told me they were moving to Granville, Ohio where they have a development plant. They bought land in Monclova Township and liked the site where they have permanently built their new world headquarters.\u00a0 I happened to live in that site, but this was January, and they said by May 30th, you have to have acquired that land from those living down there and not easy to deal with.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we got a new world headquarters for Owens Corning and a new Jeep plant in my first four years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we built the Docks restaurants. People forget we used to store our salt piles right directly across the river from downtown Toledo.\u00a0 Well, we removed those salt piles and got five restaurants over there, plus volleyball courts. Of course, people made fun of those volleyball courts, but every night of the week I can watch volleyball being played from down there.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd also, during my final term, we laid the foundation of the Marina District.\u00a0 We took down the old smokestacks, towers, and blighted buildings that were on Front Street. I built a road through that district, and many councilmembers made fun, calling it the \u201croad to nowhere.\u201d\u00a0 Well, the road to nowhere now has a restaurant and a whole bunch of things, including a Metro Park and a bunch of apartments.\u00a0 Got money for it.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Toledo City Council At-Large Seats<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are six seats to be decided and 12 candidates are on the ballot. Among the 12 are four incumbents, one incumbent who is suspended and seven others vying to finish in the top half. Here are the words of some of those on the ballot.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Councilwoman Katie Moline<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Councilwoman Katie Moline<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we really need to start thinking about some creative ideas between administration with council and the mayor.\u00a0 I know that some initiatives have been presented that we can start, and I encourage that because you don\u2019t know until you try. So, what can we do?\u00a0 I think we need to support the safety forces to do their job to help the violence. Finally, I think, again going back to money, which is my wheelhouse, is increasing investments in neighborhoods where the violence is happening.\u00a0 People need to know that they have<\/p>\n

opportunities and outlets other than crime or wrongdoing, that people care about them, there\u2019s a job to go to, and that there\u2019s something that they could lose by engaging in violent or criminal activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Councilman Nick Komives<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Councilman Nick Komives<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I couldn’t be more proud to see our area housing advocates continuing to push the envelope in affordable, sustainable housing,” said Toledo City Councilmember Komives. “The AFFH ordinance will allow us to monitor ourselves and provide valuable data and insight into the state of housing in our city. Toledo deserves nothing less than a city that cares for all of its residents.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Councilwoman Cerssandra McPherson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Councilwoman Cerssandra McPherson<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m meeting mostly officials and directors. I have talked to landlords, mostly white landlords, expressing their concerns with Section 8 vouchers and not agreeing with how it\u2019s coming down. I do understand where they\u2019re coming from.<\/p>\n

I struggle with decisions that are maybe good for some, but not good for all. That\u2019s when I have to take some quiet time and pray for direction because I want to do my best for all of Toledo citizens, understanding that often the decisions that you make are not going to be popular with some of the people.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Councilwoman Tiffany Preston Whitman EdD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Councilwoman Tiffany Whitman-Preston<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMy specific areas of focus are wellness, especially for women and children. Wellness comes out of both my direct experiences and my community experiences as well.\u00a0 The second issue is youth investment. We need better infrastructure to ensure that our youth and young adults can thrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother issue is economic opportunity, and that\u2019s across the board, not just with the black community.\u00a0 Obviously, with the recent announcement with Chrysler\u2019s expansion, that\u2019s big. But I would like to see more, across the board, whether we\u2019re talking about black, white, Latinx, communities; more middleclass families, and individuals with low to moderate income, they all need to be included in these economic expansion opportunities.\u00a0 Those are my three specific areas beyond the City\u2019s immediate focus.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Challenger Michele Grim<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Michele Grim<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI want to accomplish a couple of things.\u00a0 A lot of my campaign has been about reducing gun violence in Toledo.\u00a0 I put out a 10-point gun violence reduction plan that has a lot of evidence-based approaches. Also, I want to put public health at the forefront of city government.\u00a0 My most meaningful initiatives look at health in every aspect of public policy. That includes affordable housing, making sure that people have roofs over their heads, green space, or just making sure that we take care of the health and well-being of our constituents.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like to approach companies and negotiate lower prices and bring a grocery store here. That’s a big issue in the central city and other pockets of Toledo.\u00a0 We need to make sure that we do have affordable food choices.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t think a lot of people understand what supportive housing is.\u00a0 I worked at a community health center where we had 10 supportive housing sites. They really do make a difference for people who are chronically homeless. These projects help homeless persons stay in their apartments, so I think that’s something that we critically need here. \u201c<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Challenger and Former Councilman George Sarantou<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
George Sarantou<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAs chairman for 11 of my 12 years on city council, I was the longest-serving chairman of the finance committee. We had some tough financial years, especially under Mayor Ford and Mayor Finkbeiner, where the budgets were very tight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m most proud of that I was able to work with mayors of all different political persuasions, and I worked with them to do what’s best for the city. I never had a political agenda or tried to make a name for myself by arguing at council or taking on the mayor.\u00a0 I always felt my job was to make sure we balanced the budget and had enough revenue to pay our bills. And, when we got into challenging financial times to bite the bullet and make the reductions we had to make.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a record of success in working with people of both political parties and independents.\u00a0 I have the financial background, which is very important in the city, but I also served on the Public Safety Committee for many years of council.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, we have a very high crime rate, and that’s unacceptable. So, we need to have more cooperation, not just with various law enforcement agencies like the Toledo Police, the Lucas County Sherriff, but also the State Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. We can all work together\u2026 \u201c<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Harvey Savage, Jr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Challenger Harvey Savage<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI can make a difference. I have a wealth of knowledge of our community. I possess management skills that would enhance city council\u2019s role in our community.\u00a0 I\u2019ve worked a couple of decades in the nonprofit world and have been successful.\u00a0 I am involved with the Department of Neighborhoods and their programming, and I understand the management of federal funds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m able to look at an issue and peel it down to the root cause.\u00a0 We have many things in our community that we need to be working on the root causes and not just the symptoms. I did 13 years as a Human Research manager, and worked with people that had felonies.\u00a0 I also worked with halfway houses, so I understand what is going on right now in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Councilman Larry Sykes <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Larry Sykes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t I run again? I\u2019m not term limited. I still have a lot to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the good work I\u2019ve done in my life \u2013 with TPS, for example \u2013 establishing scholarships, increasing enrollment and graduation rates, hiring two Black superintendents \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were the 40 homes in Oakwood that those women were going to lose,mI met with them and the banks; they were able to buy the houses outright.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe police reform measures: Abolishing the \u2018no knock\u2019 practice, eliminating chokeholds, requiring body cameras and requiring officers to report fellow officers for violations against the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first in Ohio lead ordinance \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cWe invited the mayor, JoJuan Armour, the police chief, the fire chief \u2026 and no one came,\u201d he says of the Kent Branch Library session.<\/p>\n

\u201cSolve the rampant homicide problem by getting everyone involved \u2013 the whole community. Go to TPS, to LMH, the court system, the unions \u2026 , look at kids who are delinquent, who are truants. Track those kids, put them in a diversionary program.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlack men \u2013\u00a0 get them to wake up, to clean up, to stand up \u2013 you know who the shooters are. The community has to take responsibility. Parents do you know where your children are?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t need that ARP money [180 million] to go to parks and roads, there is sufficient money in the budget for that \u2026 put it into social services with a history of success.<\/p>\n

\u201cPathway\u2019s Avis Files\u2019 Brothers United program \u2026 You can sustain such a program for the next 20 years and changes lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve served this community though some tough times. I\u2019ve always been responsive, been open, been approachable. I hope voters know my commitment to this community and elect me again.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0There are two candidates for mayor \u2013 current Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz \u201cThe story is that Toledo, in general, is better off today than we were four years ago; there\u2019s no question about it. \u201cEarlier this year, we won the Site Selection Magazine Governor\u2019s Cup Award as number […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,17],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[81],"class_list":["post-2944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cover_story","category-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2944"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2944\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2965,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2944\/revisions\/2965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2944"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=2944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}