CITY COUNCIL RACE

Candidate seeks focus on maritime industry

Gabriel: Tax on wages could return to Toledo

11/3/2013

Toledo City Council candidate Theresa Gabriel on Saturday urged city officials to focus more on the maritime industry for economic development.

Ms. Gabriel, 76, a political independent, said at a downtown news conference that she spent six days in September on a Great Lakes freighter cruise aboard the Paul R. Tregurtha, which is the largest freighter on the Great Lakes. The ship picked up a load of coal from Duluth, Minn., and delivered it to St. Clair, Mich., while she was on board.

Ms. Gabriel said jobs aboard ships pay good wages — sometimes $1,500 a week. Employees are taxed at their home port so such wage taxes could come back to Toledo, she said.

Ms. Gabriel also called for more emphasis on waterfront development in Toledo.

“The maritime industry can be a tremendous catalyst for economic development for jobs for our young, redevelopment of our waterfront, and quite possibly a solution to the brain-drain that Toledo and other northwest Ohio communities have experienced over the years,” she said.

Ms. Gabriel is one of 12 candidates running for six at-large council seats in Tuesday’s general election. Four of those candidates are incumbents.