Toledo City Council Agenda Review - July 7, 2026
Toledo City Council Agenda Review - July 7, 2026
This agenda review meeting was held at 2:00 PM in Council Chambers to prepare for the July 14, 2026 City Council meeting. Council members reviewed and advanced a comprehensive agenda including a proposed temporary income tax levy for neighborhood safety, several charter amendments, a street name removal, a school safety camera program, and numerous routine administrative items. All items were advanced to the July 14 meeting for formal consideration and vote.
Consent Calendar
- Emergency repairs to the Collins Park Water Treatment Plant carbon dioxide system ($85,000) – advanced.
- Jury services contract with Lucas County ($37,107.02 for first year) – advanced.
- Special assessments for downtown street lighting, non-downtown street lighting, tree maintenance, and street services (sprinkling, sweeping, snow removal) for calendar year 2025 – advanced to first reading.
- Sidewalk note for $2,520,000 for sidewalk construction and rehabilitation – advanced to first reading.
- City services note (not to exceed $30.1 million) for street services, tree maintenance, and street lighting – advanced to first reading.
- Transfer of $115,000 from General Fund to close the Small Business Development Fund, and closure of that fund – advanced as emergency.
- HVAC replacement at Fire Station 6 ($40,000) – advanced as emergency.
- Violent Crime Reduction Grant ($77,000 from OCJS plus $10,000 from Law Enforcement Trust Fund) – advanced as emergency.
- Purchase of Mobile Data Terminals for police vehicles ($147,000) – advanced as emergency.
- Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant ($32,455.39) – advanced as emergency.
- Purchase of 3D laser scanner for traffic investigations ($105,000 from Law Enforcement Trust Fund) – advanced as emergency.
- Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission grant ($194,888.88) – advanced as emergency.
- Amendment to Ordinance 138-26 to include park maintenance equipment – advanced as emergency.
- Resolution declaring intent to vacate alleys north of Western Avenue and east of Linden Street – advanced.
- Resolution declaring the building at 4500 N. Detroit Avenue a historic landmark – advanced.
- Vacation of a 16-foot alley from Bancroft to Utica Street (with fee waiver for Islamic Church) – advanced.
- Vacation of remaining alley at 2014 Consaul Street – advanced.
- Amendment to Toledo Municipal Code Part 11 regarding native plants (Section 1108.0401) – advanced.
Discussion Items
Proposed Temporary Income Tax Levy for Neighborhood Safety Deputy Mayor Abby Arnold presented R-300-26 and O-301-26 to place a temporary one-quarter percent (0.25%) municipal income tax on the November 2026 general election ballot. The levy would impose a tax on earned income for those working in Toledo, effective January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2030, generating an estimated $25 million annually. Proceeds would be dedicated to neighborhood safety, police and fire operations, and criminal gang disruption. The tax would require voter renewal every four years. Council members discussed the need for clear public messaging about the tax's scope (neighborhood safety defined broadly to include blight, lighting, and violence interruption) and its temporary nature. Several members emphasized that council's vote on July 14 would only place the question on the ballot, allowing voters to decide. Others expressed concerns about insufficient community input and the city's structural deficit caused by state and federal funding cuts. The item advances to the July 14 meeting for a vote on ballot placement.
Charter Amendments for November 2026 Ballot Council President Williams presented four proposed charter amendments (O-302-26 through O-305-26) to be placed before voters. The amendments address: (1) making city council employees unclassified and under council control (Section 33 and 171); (2) clarifying that appointed service on council before a first elected term does not count toward the 12-year consecutive term limit (Section 87D), informally called the "Councilwoman Kramer rule"; (3) aligning council and mayoral election procedures with the Ohio Constitution (Sections 13, 14, 17, 83, 92); and (4) clarifying the process for future charter amendments, changing from resolution to ordinance (Section 5). City Law Director Dale Inch provided legal background. Councilman Sarantou asked for clarification on how the term limit change applies to district vs. at-large members, and Councilwoman Morris expressed a desire for uniform treatment. The amendments advance to the July 14 meeting for a vote on ballot placement.
Removal of “Msgr. Jerome Schmit Way” Honorary Designation Council President Williams presented O-306-26 to remove the honorary street sign on St. Clair Street following a Board of Honors vote to remove it. Williams stated she voted against removal, arguing that Monsignor Schmit provided legal representation to Father Gerald Robinson, a constitutional right. Council members Morris, McPherson, Komives, and Kramer spoke in favor of removal, citing the negative impact on survivors and the community, and referencing a letter from Sister Anne-Marie Borges. Councilman Sarantou presented evidence that Father Robinson had waived his right to counsel and that Monsignor Schmit ended the police interrogation by bringing in an attorney. The item advances to the July 14 meeting for a vote.
District 2 School Safety Camera Project (Flock System) Councilman Martinez presented O-307-26 to authorize a five-year contract with Flock Group Inc. for exterior camera systems at school locations in District 2, including additional public right-of-way cameras near schools. The capital cost is $85,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund DIP, with $50,000 annual subscription. The project is a voluntary pilot for participating public, private, and parochial schools, with strict protocols and memoranda of understanding with Toledo Police. Martinez held an informational meeting with stakeholders. He requested a vote on July 14.
Key Outcomes
- All agenda items were advanced to the July 14, 2026 City Council meeting for formal consideration and vote.
- The proposed income tax levy (R-300-26, O-301-26) and five charter amendments (O-302-26 through O-305-26) will be voted on for placement on the November 2026 general election ballot.
- The Monsignor Schmit sign removal (O-306-26) and school safety camera contract (O-307-26) will be voted on July 14.
- Routine items were recommended for adoption on first reading or as emergency ordinances.
Meeting Transcript
All right, it is two o'clock. I'm gonna call to order the agenda review meeting for July 7th, 2026. Clerk, please call the roll. Martinez? Present. McPherson. Meldon. Morris. Here. Seranto? Here. Williams. Here. Driscoll. Gaddis. Here. Hobbs. Jones. Colmives. Kramer. Here. Eight present. Okay. Item number one from the Department of Public Utilities. Good afternoon, members of council. Rick Aikman, Deputy Director of Department of Public Works. And beside me is Andy McClure, Commissioner of Plan Operations. The legislation before you this morning or this afternoon is authorizing the mayor to enter into an emergency contract for the repairs to the carbon dioxide system at the Collins Park Water Treatment Plan, authorizing the appropriation and expenditure of an amount not to exceed 85,000 from the water replacement fund and said repairs. Waiving competitive bidding of the provisions of Toledo Municipal Code Chapter 187 and declaring an emergency and requesting SEP. We'll yield now for questions. See no questions, SCP. Thank you. Thank you. Next we will have Total Minister Court. My apologies to the court. I uh looked for number one and not you guys weren't as numbered as number one, so my sincerest apologies. Thank you, Council always. We appreciate uh the opportunity to come before you. My name is Robert Disbro the second. I'm the finance officer at Toledo Municipal Court. To my left is Selma Espinosa, she is the Commissioner of Court Services. We come to YA seeking authorization enter to enter into a uh new five-year contract for jury services, jury summons. What we do is we piggyback on the Lucas County Common Police Court system uh at a fraction of the cost would it take for us to set up our own in-house summons. And uh as a side note, uh we actually worked with a company called Ideas 42. They're a pri non-for-profit company that works with government and and educational facilities to redesign our summons and by they use behavioral uh uh behavioral science uh statistics and we put up with a format how to reschedule to make it easier for people if it's a conflict to reschedule and the data is shown out that uh if a person reschedules they are more likely to show up for that jury summons than if they just don't know what to do, they get paralyzed so to speak, and they they end up ignoring the sum uh summons. So we've had good and again that was at no cost to the city, so we were very grateful to ideas 42 for giving us that. So uh and we uh seek SEP and we uh seek any questions you may have. Thanks, no question. I just want to I am so excited you're using behavioral science. I think that we as a city should really adopt that.
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