Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
Bond Rating
I recently traveled to New York with Chief of Staff Katy Crosby, Finance Director Thomas Skrobola, the city’s bond counsel, and our bond underwriter to meet with analysts from Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's. These meetings were extremely productive as we offered an employment update, a development summary, and details on the city’s revenues, expenditures, and financial position.

We also talked about city operations and our five strategic priorities, citywide initiatives, and how we are using data to drive the decision-making process in Toledo. The strategic priorities are:
  • Excellence in Basic Services - providing basic services to citizens in an effective and efficient manner.
  • Quality Community Investment - making investments that improve the quality of life for people who live, work, and play in Toledo.
  • Workplace Culture - making sure our city employees feel connected, valued, and appreciated.
  • Customer Service - taking pride in providing excellent service to our residents.
  • Environment - ensuring all of our infrastructure and environmental resources are efficient and sustainable for long-term viability.

Toledo maintained the same bond ratings last year as the previous year. Moody’s Investor Service rated Toledo “A2 with a stable outlook” and Standard & Poor’s granted an “A- rating with a stable outlook.” As we move forward with a number of changes that will make our operations more efficient and secure, I believe we will soon have an even better bond rating, which will translate to more savings for taxpayers.

Economic Empowerment of Women
Also, I would like to thank Women of Toledo for inviting me to speak Thursday at the Women Economic Empowerment Series Program . It was a great honor to be asked to participate. The topic was "He for She" and accelerating women's economic empowerment, which is something my administration takes seriously. There is a significant gender gap in leadership and pay across the business and public sectors. I was proud to be among others who strive to reverse that trend and be champions for gender equality within their own organizations.

The work my administration has done to promote gender equity throughout the City of Toledo is well-documented. Not only does the mayor’s office have an all-female senior staff, including the Chief of Staff and both deputy Chiefs of Staff, but we have also made some big strides in improving the gender diversity of our safety forces. During my time as mayor, we have doubled the number of women of color in the Fire Department, and I’m proud to say we now have 17 women in command positions in Toledo Fire & Rescue. In the Police Department, we have added more female police officers in the past two years alone than had been added to the force in the previous decade. Our most recent police class was made up of 42.5 percent women — the highest percentage in the history of our city. We certainly have more work to do, but I am proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.
Helping RJ
Finally this week, I had the opportunity recently to meet a very special Toledoan: 3-month-old RJ Ahlers, who is battling two extremely rare conditions. I attended a fundraiser for RJ where I was moved by the outpouring of support from our community.

Some of his treatment is not covered by insurance and his family needs help. If you wish to read more about his struggles, or to donate to his medical care, please go to this link .
The 2019 Leaf Collection Program will begin on Monday, Nov. 4.
A variety of methods will be used to inform residents when leaf collection will occur in each neighborhood. The city will announce to the media each Friday where crews will be working the following week and the week after. That will give residents time to rake leaves to the curb and make sure cars are off the street.
There are several other ways to determine when crews will be on your street:
  • Sign up for Toledo Text Alerts to be alerted when leaf collection crews will be in your neighborhood, and of any change in plans. Toledo Texts Alerts will notify residents two weeks prior, again one week prior to pick-up, and again when the collection is complete. The link to sign up is here.
  • Residents can refer to the map on the city website for information on their specific addresses. The map will be posted at this link.
  • Call Engage Toledo at 419-936-2020.
  • Check the city Facebook and Twitter accounts on Fridays.
  • Watch for signs to be posted on your street.
“In an effort to complete leaf collection by the end of the year, we are asking for the public’s help,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “Residents should rake or blow leaves into the street, just over the curb, as close as possible to their leaf collection date. Do not place leaves in the street weeks ahead of time. That will clog sewers and cause flooding. Please consider mulching leaves.”
City crews will not be able to return to an area once we have completed collection. If you miss collection, do not place leaves in the street. At that point, the options for residents are to:
  • Compost the leaves.
  • Take the leaves to one of four transfer locations that will be available free disposal. They are at Bowman Park, Detwiler Park, Ravine Park, and the ODOT facility at Detroit and Glendale avenues . The sites will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
  • Dispose of leaves in your gray trash container.
All vehicles should be off the street when leaf collection crews come to your neighborhood in order to get the street as clean as possible. City crews will leave a tag at the homes where parked vehicles prevented the collection of all leaves. It will include information on what to do with leaves that are left behind under vehicles.
Crews will attempt to complete a street in one day but it may extend into a second day. There will be a concentrated leaf collection effort in the 43605 zip code.
Mark Your Calendars
Drug Take Back Day
Join us 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26 , in disposing of your unused medications the right way at 525 North Erie St., 2301 Nebraska Ave., or 2300 West Sylvania Ave.
Health Department Walk-In Flu Clinics
Seasonal flu activity typically occurs between October and May. Annual walk-in flu shot clinics started Oct. 5. The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department is still offering flu clinics to the public, throughout the season, on the following dates:
  • Sunday, Oct. 27 (8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) at Sylvania United Church of Christ, 7240 Erie St., Sylvania, Ohio 43560
  • Wednesday, Oct. 30 (8 a.m. - 4 p.m.) at the Toledo Lucas County Health Department, 635 North Erie St., Toledo, Ohio 43604
All insurances may be billed, including Medicare Part B and Ohio Medicaid. If you do not have insurance, the cost for the seasonal flu vaccine is $30, payable by cash, check, or credit card.
Free Toledo Small Business Resource Day
The Toledo Small Business Resource Day will be 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, 325 Michigan St.

What to expect: resource fair, access to capital panel, mentors on the move, financial literacy course, and doing business in Toledo discussion. Register at this link .
There will be six community forums in Toledo to discuss the regional water programs in more detail. The remaining meetings will be 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. as follows:

  • Council District 5: Monday, Oct. 28 at Washington Local Schools Administration building, 3505 West Lincolnshire Blvd.
  • Council District 2: Wednesday, Oct. 30 at Heatherdowns Library
Old South End Fall Festival
The 2019 Old South End Fall Festival will be 4 p.m. to 11 p.m ., Saturday, Oct. 26 at 1411 Broadway.

The festival has several attractions for families, including trick-or-treat, games, food, music, face-painting, and a costume contest.

The event is a community-building activity for families, allowing them to play games together and enjoy the holiday in a safe environment.
By The Numbers
(year to date)
157,924 potholes filled
218 water main breaks repaired
1,576,247  feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
44,995  feet of storm sewers cleaned
3,248,557  pounds of debris cleared from streets with street sweepers
5,952,553  pounds of debris cleared from alleys
2,226 illegal signs removed
1,128 trees trimmed
8,231 building inspections
2,044 contractor licences
5,456 fire runs
43,890 EMS runs
Toledo In The News
C-Span - Mayor Kapszukiewicz on Toledo C-SPAN ’s Local Content Vehicles (LCVs) made a stop in their “2019 LCV Cities Tour” in Toledo, Ohio, from July 20-26, 2019, to feature the history and literary life of the community. Working with the  Buckeye Broadband  local affiliate, they visited literary and historic sites where local historians, authors, and civic leaders were interviewed.

35 years later, Toledo's Furies receive championship rings at last A heartwarming reunion of former players, coaches, staff, and others associated with a professional women’s football team that Toledo had in the 1980s is scheduled for Friday night.

University of Toledo students organize exhibition at the Toledo Museum of Art An Inspired Age: Selections of 18th-century European Art from the Collection  is organized by the students from The University of Toledo Department of Art art museum practices exhibition and new media design practices course. It will open at the Toledo Museum of Art Saturday, Nov. 2 in Gallery 18.
Glass act: Toledo artists create seven unique keys to the city It’s a tradition in Toledo that’s been around since the 1950s: the handing out of glass keys produced from an ages-old hand press process by Toledo landmark company Libbey Glass. And in a community known worldwide as the Glass City, with historic glass industry and a burgeoning group of glass artists, where the key to the city has been made from glass for the last 70 years, why stop now?
This time around, though, the keys have an artistic twist that deviates from the Libbey tradition. The city administration, in a partnership with the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, has commissioned seven local glass artists to each create a key design and then execute that design, producing 49 keys for the city administration to hand out at its discretion
EZfare: A new way to pay In the age of technology, nearly everything revolves around the internet and smartphones. This year, TARTA embraced the trend by launching a cashless fare app, allowing passengers to buy their passes digitally.
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