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by Jack Baessler, Blade staff writer
The Blade (Toledo, OH)
09-04-98
Mayor Carty Finkbeiner fired back yesterday at Lucas County commissioners, who have complained the mayor is trying to trade away financial support for a downtown stadium to get tax dollars to pay for Jeep incentives.
"Now it is time to stop scolding, posturing, and pontificating about progress on important projects for Toledo and Lucas County," Mayor Finkbeiner said in a letter to commissioners late yesterday.
"Decisive, visionary, and involved leadership is needed . . . from the county to move forward on these major projects."
He accused the county of "waiting months . . . to take a leadership role" on moving ahead on several projects in which they share a common interest, including devising a plan to pay for a downtown baseball stadium.
Voters in May defeated a temporary sales tax increase to finance most of a $37 million stadium. County administrators say they have been working on a revised plan that could be done without a tax increase but admit they are weeks away from deciding on a final proposal.
The city will spend $94.8 million on the Jeep project, estimated to cost $1.2 billion, and the county has indicated it will contribute only $1 to $2 million to the effort, the mayor complained.
"We have attempted to work with you on each of these issues, and to date there has been no progressive movement on these projects," the letter stated.
The city and the county have discussed trading the city-owned Quarry Pond Farm that was once part of the Toledo House of Corrections for several historic retail buildings on St. Clair Street now in serious disrepair and owned by the county.
Other issues include financing for the Fallen Timbers battlefield park and land the county wants on the Civic Center Mall for an appellate court building.
Sandy Isenberg, president of the commissioners, said the mayor never has directly offered to discuss those issues. "Because the city has overextended itself on [incentives for Chrysler's Jeep plant], it would seem he would take a more realistic position on these issues," she said. "Who is asking for money here?"
She said the mayor selected participants for a committee that tried to win approval of the sales tax for the Mud Hens and set the agenda with little input from others.
She said the county is prepared to provide financial aid for the Jeep project, "But I don't believe in total corporate welfare."
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