Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz |
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I want to thank everyone who watched my 2021 State of the City last night, delivered from the Toledo Museum of Art’s Peristyle Theater.
We announced a number of exciting programs for 2021, which you can read more about at this link. I want to really thank my mother, Karan Kapszukiewicz, who joined me on stage to receive her second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
Like I said last night, we need to get vaccinated. That is the only way we are going to get back to enjoying the city that we want to enjoy. I hope my mother’s vaccination last night showed everyone how safe and easy this process is, and when it is your turn, please get the vaccination.
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As I said last night, 2020 was undoubtedly one of the most challenging years we have faced as a community, but we have a bright 2021 ahead of us.
Yes, city finances were hit hard by the pandemic, but Toledo weathered the economic downturn and we now have $70 million in our rainy day fund.
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Among the new programs announced last night are:
- A collaboration between Toledo Police, Toledo Fire & Rescue, Owens Community College, and Toledo Public Schools called “PS 419.” It will provide a vocational track for high school students interested in joining the public safety field.
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The Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, funded through federal Community Development Block Grant funding, to help 150 low to moderate-income households pay up to six consecutive months of mortgage payments.
- “Clean Toledo,” which aims to proactively eliminate blight in the city. A dedicated crew will be out every day responding to blight complaints and proactively looking for illegal dumping and debris.
I also took the opportunity last night to again highlight the residential road repaving program we will undertake this year. We will repave 42.04 miles of residential roads this year, up from 1.64 in 2019 and 2.88 in 2020. The average mileage of residential roads repaved from 2009 to 2020 was 13 miles. For the first time ever, thanks to the passage of Issue 4, the city has dedicated money exclusively for streets. Finally, after decades of kicking the can down the road, we will be able to properly fix the residential streets of our city.
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In the days leading up to the State of the City, I was honored to present the Key to the City to healthcare workers during small ceremonies at Mercy Health, Neighborhood Health Association, ProMedica, The Toledo Clinic, the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, and the University of Toledo Medical Center.
We would not have gotten as far as we have without the leadership of these men and women. No one deserves the Key to the City more than these healthcare heroes.
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Toledo continues to attract new companies. We are very excited to welcome Bitwise Industries to our city, a move that made national news this week.
ProMedica announced it is partnering with Bitwise to launch an innovation center in Toledo. The center will focus on accelerating partnerships, supporting workforce development, and facilitating technology innovation. At the core of the facility's mission will be racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and gender diversity.
The company will move into the historic Jefferson Center, a 100,000-square-foot building in the heart of downtown.
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Thank you again Toledo for your support and enjoy the weekend! Watch Monday for another major economic development announcement. |
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Congratulations to Toledo Firefighters Ben Holt and Matt Shiple who were both promoted this morning by Chief Brian Byrd to the rank of captain.
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It will be 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, March. 3, 2021.
It will be simulcast live from a Zoom meeting. You may post your questions for the mayor or city staff in the Facebook comments once it starts.
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Virtual Panel: “Where’s Al? Race and Representation in Music from Vaudeville to Today |
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In “The Music Behind the Mural,” the famous cast of characters in the Valentine Theatre’s mural comes to life. But one mural character is noticeably absent from the performance: Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, and actor Al Jolson, the most famous and highest-paid entertainer of the 1920s who was known as the “king of blackface.” In this virtual panel, academics, artists, and Toledo Opera community members will discuss the history of blackface and other forms of racial makeup and costuming in Vaudeville and opera, and their relationships to the ongoing presence of systemic racism in classical music and culture today.
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Faces and Places of Toledo video that played during the 2021 State of the City |
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By The Numbers
(year to date)
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13,030 potholes filled
140 water main breaks repaired
189,165 feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
425 feet of storm sewers cleaned
162,770 pounds of debris removed from alleys
254 trees trimmed
313 illegal signs removed
1,473 building inspections completed
832 contractor licenses issued
860 fire runs
7,749 EMS runs
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