Council doesn't budge on budget

DOWNTOWN TOLEDO - No movement Tuesday night in the hope of closing the $20 million hole in the Toledo city budget.

Mayor Carty Finkbeiner had hoped a big chunk of the deficit would be gone, but so far that's not the case.

It all still comes down to the contract with the police department. Both the city administration and the police union met with a mediator last week. Nothing came of that meeting and because nothing did, many council members say they don't want to be making major budget decisions right now.

"We cannot see a bright line in order to be able to make intellectual business decisions, until we have had the opportunity to see the bi-product of collective bargaining," said Councilman Micheal Collins (I).

So instead of voting on a plan to raise the trash fee, change income taxes for those who live in the city and work outside, and change pension contributions, all those items went to a committee for more discussion.

The police and city are meeting with a mediator again next month, but Councilman Frank Szollosi wondered Tuesday why negotiations were not happening that afternoon.

No resolution came out of Tuesday night's meeting, but all members did leave with this challenge from outgoing UAW Director Lloyd Mahaffey.

"I urge all of you to take an open mind and sit down and try to work out these problems. There's not a problem anywhere that doesn't have a solution and it's going to take some big people to find it," said Mahaffey.

But the city did save itself a little money Tuesday, council voted to eliminate its expense accounts. That would net a savings of about $13,000.