A taxing standstill

DOWNTOWN TOLEDO - Mayor Carty Finkbeiner of Toledo said Tuesday afternoon during a city council session at One Government Center, that everyone needs to pitch in when times are tough.

"You can't bury yourself in the sand and say we're not going to vote for anything that's an increase," the mayor said.

Still, Glass City administrators are still facing an $8.5 million budget deficit.

Council members refuse to vote for any new taxes, including raising the trash fee and income taxes for certain workers. A two-part proposed plan includes increasing the trash fee to $7 if you recycle or $10 if you don't, and it calls for an increase your income tax if you live in the city and work outside city limits.

Council members, who approved and ratified the Toledo Fire Union Local 92's contract with the Finkbeiner administration, had a chance to approve both measures, but that vote never happened.

Council President Joe McNamara decided not to call for a vote. This gives council members another week to hash things out. Council is expected to convene Aug. 4.

"Is this going to create another reason to flee the city of Toledo?," said Councilman D. Michael Collins.

That's the fear of some, when it comes to increasing the income tax. Certain council members said if you work in Sylvania and make $50,000, but live in Toledo, your tax would go up $375.

"If you think you can move to Sylvania and recoup that $375, I think you need a new calculator," said Councilman Mike Craig.

As for increasing the trash fee, some say that's an even tougher sell, because some already don't feel like they get their money's worth.

"I hear it constantly in the form of jokes, in the form of scathing letters to the editor," said Councilman Linsday Webb. "We have to basically do whatever we can before we go to our taxpayers and ask for more."

But Mayor Finkbeiner said the fee needs to go up.

"Let me tell you why, because nobody's wanted to raise the refuse fee to what the real cost is," Mr. Finkbeiner said. "It's that simple. We've been underwriting households in the city of Toledo."

Mayor Finkbeiner has always said after getting concessions from the fire and police departments, more would need to be done. The ball is in the court of Toledo's council.

"Ultimately we are going to have to step up, and in my judgment the sooner we step up, the more quickly," he said. "We will see policemen return that we have trained."