Wednesdays with Wade

City Council President Carrie Hartman and Finance Director Melanie Campbell join Mayor Wade to continue the discussion on the City of Toledo's budget and how it works.

Budget hearings began yesterday with the Committee of the Whole and will run through the middle of December.

This episode asks, "How can we stretch our dollars further?"

Brandon Sehlhorst Director of Economic Development, Simon Nyi Grants Commissioner, and Councilman George Sarantou Finance, Debt, and Budget Oversight Committee Chair join Mayor Wade to discuss the 2025 budget that will be presented to City Council this week.

This episode discusses Toledo's financial health, revenue, and the various ways the City brings in money beyond our income tax revenue.

Director of Public Service Megan Robson, Commissioner of Urban Beautification Sara Stacy, and Manager of Forestry Jody Prude join Mayor Wade to discuss all things trees in Toledo.

Leaf collection began on Monday and we will continue that work for the next six weeks. Trees are an important part of maintaining our built environment and protecting our watershed.

The City of Toledo recently re-vamped our Employee Values. For the next 8 months, we will highlight one of these values with one of our city's 2,700 employees who I think exemplifies one of these core values.

Commissioner of Sewer and Drainage Services Calvin Harris joins Mayor Wade to discuss the second City of Toledo Employee Value, Belonging.

We define belonging at work as "feeling valued through positive connections with others."

Calvin has worked for the City for 22 years. He remembers starting in an entry-level position and working his way up which he credits to the people before him who cultivated a sense of belonging for him. Mayor Wade and Calvin discuss how Calvin continues to foster this value in the city's Division of Sewer and Drainage Services.

Engage Toledo Supervisor Kaleena Harris and 2024 Ambassador Academy attendee JaMezz McKinney join Mayor Wade to discuss what it is like to attend the Ambassador Academy.

Toledo's Ambassador Academy provides residents with the opportunity to interact with our city's departments and get an insider's look.

Learn more about it at toledo.oh.gov/ambassador

Council Member Nick Komives, one of the co-sponsors of the 1% for the Environment Fund joins Mayor Wade to talk about this Friday's exciting opportunity for Toledo residents to join a tour of several projects around the city that demonstrate our commitment to building a more sustainable environment.

This FREE event is a collaboration between the City of Toledo and Power a Clean Future Ohio.

Department of Public Utilities Director Doug Stephens and Commissioner of Utilities Administration Cindy Geronimo join Mayor Wade to talk about our new customer service portal for water service.

The new customer service portal integrates the technology from our recently installed Smart Meters and offers residents the opportunity to see their water usage and bill from the convenience of an app on their phone.

We are always looking for ways to enhance the customer experience. This new software is an exciting step.

Learn more on our website at toledo.oh.gov/mytol

Director of Parks and Youth Services, Joe Fausnaugh, and Commissioner of Youth Services, David Bush, join Mayor Wade to talk about how city parks improve life outcomes for residents. Our Parks and Youth Services Department has been working hard to develop inviting community spaces in our City parks and youth programs to give our youngest Toledoans something new to do.

Last week, we announced a $1.15 million grant from the Department of the Interior's Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP) that will help us revitalize the City's oldest park, Rev. H.V Savage Park.

The City of Toledo has recently reaffirmed our list of Values that guide us in our role as public service professionals focusing on people-centered relationships. For the next 8 months, we will be rolling out these values with the employees who best exemplify what they're all about.

We begin with Todd Saums Commissioner of Water Distribution and Keith McCarver General Foreman join Mayor Wade to discuss what it means to provide exemplary service, even in times of crisis.

Thank you Keith for your dedication to our residents. We are lucky to have you on our team.

Director of Economic Development Brandon Sehlhorst joins Mayor Wade to discuss the major turnaround the City has seen is such a short period of time.

The Four Corners downtown (Madison and Huron) are the oldest buildings in the city. We are working to convert these buildings into 360 apartments with a recent big win.

Brandon discusses "the new downtown" which sees a conceptual shift in how people are using downtowns across the country. People may not be working downtown like we used to, but we are coming into cities like Toledo to live and play.

Brandon Sehlhorst was recently named the Economic Developer of the Year by the Ohio Economic Development Association at their conference which they held in Toledo for 2024. Congratulations Brandon!