Article published June 27, 2008
Finkbeiner touts jobs, progress in downtown Toledo
Council expecting tight budget in '09
Finkbeiner
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By IGNAZIO MESSINA
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner yesterday painted a bright picture for the city's downtown development and job creation while just hours later Toledo City Council's finance committee received some dire warnings for next year's budget.
"We are in the process of building a downtown that has more personality, more sex appeal," Mr. Finkbeiner said in front of the vacant five-story Western Union building at Jefferson Avenue and Huron Street that dates to 1926.
In referring to a Blade series this week on downtowns in Ohio's major cities, the mayor acknowledged how they have suffered and declined.
But Mr. Finkbeiner shifted gears and delivered an increasingly familiar speech about Toledo's downtown economic rebirth and how it outshines cities like Columbus.
The mayor said 514 jobs since January, 2006, were created downtown and in the warehouse district.
The $320 million commercial and residential Marina District development in East Toledo is expected to create 2,600 jobs. Most of the early positions will be construction."Since January, 2006, 73 businesses have announced projects in downtown Toledo," Mr. Finkbeiner said. "We want to see performing arts opportunities continue to explode … [and] we want more varied entertainment."
The mayor said the city retained 1,586 jobs in the same area near downtown and East Toledo during the same period.
Among them are about 100 at Advocates for Basic Legal Equality and its sister agency, Legal Aid of Western Ohio, which are moving into the vacant Western Union building after a $6.1 million purchase and renovation.
The University of Toledo agreed to help the firms obtain $1 million in state capital improvement funds for their headquarters, the soon-to-be Center for Equal Justice.
The building is across from the under-construction downtown arena.
While Mr. Finkbeiner's news conference, which also highlighted the new arena and development plans around Swan Creek, was rosy, City Council tackled tough financial predications for the remainder of 2008 and next year.
City Finance Director John Sherburne told council's finance and budget committee income tax collections for May had "fallen off the table."
Mr. Sherburne said the Finkbeiner administration "would present a balanced [2009] budget, but it will be painful."
The city has slashed about $22 million in spending over that last two budget cycles and more cuts are likely for next year.
Councilman George Sarantou, who presided over the 3 1/2-hour meeting that reviewed the budget and overtime costs for police, fire, and public service, said all options for keeping the budget balanced were on the table.
"That includes layoffs, but that, right now, has not been discussed," Mr. Sarantou said.
Councilman Joe McNamara warned that the city would not be able to continue handing out 3 percent annual wage increases to its bargaining units.
Contact Ignazio Messina at:
imessina@theblade.com
or 419-724-6171.
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