mayor

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.

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.

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 .

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.

If Toledo is in such dire straights why don't Mayor Bell go after Carty for the the money
he cost the city to settle the lawsuits? Bell is putting everything else on the table including
raising taxes. Carty had a lot to do with creating this budget mess in the first place.

Also, there is still some fat that can be cut, namely Board of community relations. This is just a racist department that no longer belongs in this city or in our society.

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.

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.

Computer Aided Dispatch

The following letter was sent to our ex-Mayor. He never responded. This is an issue I hope all Toledoans would be concerned about. I called 911 about a crime and the Police never showed up!

I am hoping someone in this city will find out why the Police/Vice Squad did not show up.

Dear Carty Finkbeiner - Mayor of Toledo Ohio

I am writing in response to a 911 call I made the weekend of September 18-20th.
I called 911 to report a crime in progress here in the apartment building where I live.

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.

Well we are finally free of Carty Finkbeiner. In The Blade I read that our newly inaugurated Mayor announced that the new Welcome To Toledo signs would not bear his name. No ego-massaging signs for Mr. Bell as we had for Finkbeiner. Instead of the new mayor's name being displayed on the signs we will see an image of a rocket! How great! The Blade's cartoonist Kirk stuck Finkbeiner with the title Hizzoner. A great suggestion for all the pundits out there: let's call our new mayor Mike "The Rocketman" Bell!

Wow this is great Bell won't put his name on City signs. Now that is a positive change.
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Mike Bell said he would leave his ego out of his new job as mayor and motorists could be the first ones to see signs of him making good on that promise.

Aside from beginning the massive task of handling a predicted $40 million general fund deficit, Mayor Bell on his first full day at work yesterday said he would replace the city's entry point signs with new ones that don't bear his name.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100106/NEWS16/106032...

New Year, New Administration

Bell to be sworn in Monday, January 4, 2010

Mayor Elect Michael P. Bell will be sworn in to office on Monday, January 4, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. The ceremony will take place in The Courtyard at Cousino’s Navy Bistro with a short reception following. His parents, Norman and Ora Bell, will join him in the swearing in ceremony.

After the ceremony and reception Bell will attend Toledo City Council’s organizational meeting. He officially takes office at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, January 4th – the first business day of the year.

The end of an error
Written by Brian Wilson | | news@toledofreepress.com
http://www.toledofreepress.com/2009/12/24/the-end-of-an-error/
By the time you’re reading this, it will be almost over: Four long, hard, grueling years of national embarrassment, local incompetence and stunted economic growth, all the result of what history may accurately record as Toledo’s Greatest Mistake, the election of Carl Finkbeiner.
What else could explain the (re-) election of a certifiable failure and nationally known joke-of-a-mayor whose sole accomplishment was as a “Trivial Pursuit” answer?

Mayor Elect Michael P. Bell will be sworn in to office on January 4, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. The ceremony will take place in The Courtyard at Cousino’s Navy Bistro with a short reception following.

After the ceremony and reception the Mayor will attend the City Council’s organizational meeting.

Mr. Bell was elected Mayor with 52.3 percent of the vote total. He ran as an Independent in his first bid for elective office. Toledo’s former fire chief and former State Fire Marshal, he received his education in the Toledo Public Schools and the University of Toledo.

The Toledo Journal is reporting online that Carty insulted blacks, and one of his top aide's confrims this!

The Journal is reporting that Mayor Finkbeiner made insulting remarks about black men and probably about black women. Mayor Finkbeiner turned down a recommendation to hire a black man because he would be "crucified" if he had two minorities serving as co-directors of the city's Youth Commission.

Mayor-elect Michael P. Bell today announced his picks for Police Chief, Fire Chief, and Director of Public Service.
Mr. Bell confirmed that Chief Michael Navarre will continue to serve as Chief of Police Operations and Chief Mike Wolever will remain Chief of toledo Fire and Rescue. Both men are veterans of the Toledo safety services.
Chief Navarre joined the Toledo Police Department in 1977. He was appointed deputy chief in 1994 and was selected to succeed Gerald Galvin as Chief after a nationwide search for candidates in 1998.

Mayor Elect Michael P. Bell will today meet with his full transition team and set to work on identifying a framework for evaluating and implementing his platform and achieving the goals he has set for his first 90-days in office.

The Team, which Bell appointed last Monday, is made up of representative from all parts of the community including business, labor, neighborhood organizations, education, clergy, social services and our regional neighbors.