Michael Bell

Mayor Michael P. Bell today sent a balanced budget proposal to council for consideration. The recommendations include:
- approximately $10 million in expenditure reductions,
- elimination of income tax reciprocity for those working outside of the city,
- an 8% sports and event tax,
- a $15 refuse fee with the establishment of a solid waste enterprise fund to which the revenue would be dedicated,
- maintenance of the fire class sworn in this January, and
- a new police class in September.

Mayor Bell to Serve as Honorary Chair

Mayor Michael P. Bell will join representatives of Toledo Sister Cities and Great Lakes Consortium to announce the Toledo Sister Cities International Festival at a press conference on Tuesday, February 23 at 10 a.m. in the Toledo Sister Cities offices.

Westfield Franklin Park officials this week reached out to the Mayor’s office and the Toledo Police Department to examine both short-term changes and long-term solutions to ensure safety and well being of the patrons and vendors at the shopping center following Saturday’s incident of youth violence.

Today the Bell administration is using their Web site http://futureoftoledo.org to allow you to look at some of the money saving ideas and vote on them. It is great that Mayor Bell is doing this and it is your chance to be heard. Do participate! Look for the link on the Home page.
You can also learn about the budgeting process on the Web site.

http://futureoftoledo.org/

This does remind me to tell you that ideasfortps.org will be reborn very soon. Stay tuned!

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Bell To Hold First State of the City, February 24th

Mayor Michael P. Bell will hold his first State of the City address at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 in Nitchke Auditorium on the campus of the University of Toledo. The event is free and open to the public. There are no tickets required for admission and seating is available on a first come, first available basis. Capacity in the auditorium is 1,000 seats. Convenient free parking for the event is located in lots 19 and 20.

At this afternoon's City Council Committee of the Whole meeting, Mayor Michael P. Bell recommended to members of Council that the proposed ordinance authorizing a ballot initiative to increase the city income tax be pulled from the agenda. The administration has made numerous other recommendations to resolve the 2010 deficit without increasing the income tax.

13abc has this story on the City plowing clean a mayor's street. Bell is the current mayor, but the story covers previous mayors. If I was Bell I would put a stop to this asap. It sounds snotty.
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But no other government employees received preferential treatment.

Want your side street plowed first? Move next to the mayor! 13abc's Greg Bilazarian checked in how Mayor Mike Bell's Old Orchard street looked.

Like Central Avenue, the mayor's street was cleaned down to the pavement and the city admits that it's no accident. When the snow falls, the plows head for Hopewell.

Mayor Michael P. Bell today sent to members of Toledo City Council and the City's union leadership an updated forecast for 2010 revenue and the current state of the anticipated deficit. That information is attached electronically to this release. To date the administration has identified $25.6 million in deficit reduction measures.

The Mayor met on Wednesday with the union leaders to present them with the potential cost savings to be achieved through employee concessions, which would affect all employees in all funds and agencies. The concessions and deficit reduction measures, coupled with the ballot initiatives the administration has proposed for council action would remediate the 2010 deficit without seriously affecting the level of service provided to Toledo residents. All measures would nevertheless pursue a long-term improvement in the efficiency of internal operations for the City of Toledo.

On Thursday the administration will meet with representatives from the State Auditors office and on Friday there will be a budget working meeting with members of the administration, city council, department directors and union leaders. Public input sessions are also being scheduled to allow citizens the opportunity to offer suggestions and weigh in on the service priorities they feel need to be addressed.

The Mayor has committed to providing multiple draft budget scenarios to City Council by March 1 to allow them time for discussion and action before the March 31 deadline.

The Mayor and City Council will continue to address the 2010 City Budget at a series of working meetings that will also include members of the Mayor's Transition Team, the Citizens Special Investigation team, union leaders and department directors.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 10 at 9:30 a.m. in the Courtyard at Cousino's Navy Bistro. Subsequent meetings are scheduled for February 17; February 24 and March 3. All meetings will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be held at the Bistro.

The Mayor and City Council will continue to address the 2010 City Budget at a series of working meetings that will include members of the Mayor's Transition Team, the Citizens Special Investigation team, union leaders and department directors.

The first meeting will be held on Thursday, February 4 at 9:30 a.m. in the Courtyard at Cousino's Navy Bistro. Subsequent meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, February 10; February 17; February 24 and March 3. All meetings will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be held at the Bistro.

The Citizen’s Special Investigation (CSI) of the City of Toledo budget will hold their second meeting on Wednesday, January 27 at 4:30 p.m. in the Large Conference Room on the 22nd Floor of Government Center. The team requested to meet at least twice weekly to move quickly on the budget reform recommendations and will continue to meet on Monday and Wednesday until further notice. The media is invited to attend the meetings .

I find it interesting in the public sector when an employee is promoted or given extra duties
they are given a raise. While in the private sector we are told to do the extra work and be thankful we have a job. Something is wrong with this picture.

The Citizen’s Special Investigation (CSI) of the City of Toledo budget will begin on Monday, January 25 at 4:30 p.m. in the Large Conference Room on the 22nd Floor of Government Center. The media is invited to attend the meeting.

The CSI team was recruited by the Mayor after his election in November to review current financial figures for the city, examine potential long-term cost savings and efficiencies, and propose areas of the budget where the city might realize immediate cost reductions. A roster of team members is attached.

Mayor Michael P. Bell today sent legislation to Toledo City Council tentatively agreeing to settle two disputed claims alleging improper termination. While the liability has been denied the administration feels the settlement is in the best interest of the City.

he Toledo Fire and Rescue Department will promote 12 officers to the rank of Lieutenant and eight officers to the rank of Captain at a ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 in Toledo City Council Chambers.

The following officers will be promoted to Lieutenant:

§ Douglas S. Haack
§ Hector A. Solis
§ Brian J. Phillips
§ Craig A. Ellis
§ Matthew D. Brixey
§ Allison Armstrong
§ Dexter L. Baker
§ Joseph J. Camerato
§ Verdell Franklin
§ Todd M. Besteda
§ David J. Soldner

The City of Toledo would like to remind you that our next Leap Forward holiday will be Monday, January 18th. There will be no refuse or recycling collection on that day in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

For residents who are Green 2, collection will be on Tuesday, January 19th. Orange 2 will be on Wednesday, January 20th; Blue 2 will be on Thursday January 21st; Red 2 will be on Friday, January 22nd and Yellow 1 will be on Monday, January 25th.

Mayor Michael P. Bell will meet this evening with his transition team to continue their progress in evaluating and implementing his platform and achieving the goals he has set for his first 90-days in office.

The Bell Transition Team will meet at 4:30 p.m. in The Courtyard at Cousino’s Navy Bistro. The media is welcome to attend.

Mayor Appoints Finance Director
McLean brings 20 years finance and budgeting experience to the job.

Mayor Michael P. Bell today announced his appointment for City Finance Director at his first press conference since taking office.