To the editor: Charter committee did its job

In response to the editorial “Abolish charter review,” July 14 , The Blade need not worry about abolishing the charter review committee, because there is not, nor has there ever been to my knowledge, a charter review committee. If The Blade had done its homework, you would have found, in the Toledo Charter, Section 209, Charter Revision Committee. The purpose of the Committee is to review the Charter in detail, and recommend changes which it deems appropriate. Council has the authority to combine or change any of what is recommended. Whatever Council decides must be put on the next citywide election for approval or rejection. In July, 2021, Mayor Kapszukiewicz appointed the electors, selected the Chairperson, etc. I was one of those chosen.

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The Committee did its work, and presented good recommendations that would have helped Toledo citizens. City Council had to hold at least two public hearings on any recommended changes. At one of the hearings, a man from the audience said that he was a consultant that helped cities change their charters and get those changes approved by the voters. He said that his experience, backed up by research, indicated that voters were wary of multiple changes “bundled” into one amendment, and that the passage rate of individual changes was much greater than when combined. Council, however, made the decision to place all of the recommendations on the ballot as one combined issue. The voters rejected it.

The Blade also criticized the proposed change to periodically review the size of City Council, and whether it should be adjusted based on population. This was not a “strange” recommendation. Toledo’s population has been decreasing for years.

The United States has lots of towns that have had large population decreases. Yet their governmental bureaucracy remains the same, increasing the financial burden on those who remain. The Blade has felt the economic impact of our decreasing population. In 2014, you closed your Toledo printing facility. You have also reduced the number of days the print version is available from seven to two. Why shouldn’t the citizens of Toledo have the same option to downsize our City bureaucracy?

HARRY WARD

West Toledo

Time to reduce Toledo council to 9

I was quite shocked to read Carty Finkbeiner’s letter in The Blade on Sunday. Carty knows me and Harry Ward, who were involved in proposing changes to the Charter. Since the Charter had not been meticulously reviewed and revised in a period of years, many necessary changes were discussed, voted upon, and referred to City Council. At that time I stated that the voter would be overwhelmed with the dozen issues. Among those issues was a suggestion to allow the Mayor an additional term, equal to that of Council. I did not agree, but the majority on the Committee believed that the voters should decide whether to permit a third mayoral term.

We hoped that City Council would place the issues on the ballot individually, but that was not to be. Some of us on the Committee believed that Council attempted to hide the term-limit provision by bundling all the recommendations into one.

Many voters are fed up with ineffective government and professional politicians at all levels. Maybe our City Council was making that attempt. Our concern now should be to reduce the size of Council. Since the establishment of six districts and six at-large members, Toledo has lost 60,000 people in 30 years. Yes, Carty did well at the time, but now is the time to try a better way. Eliminate at-large and establish nine districts. Less costly, more efficient, and each council member would not attempt to represent as many voters.

RAY JOHNSTON

Temperance

Roundabout unwise at Secor/​Kenwood

The roundabout project proposed for the Secor Road/​Kenwood Boulevard intersection should never have been imagined for a residential neighborhood. Most residents probably have no idea of the enormous size of a roundabout. It involves taking homeowners’ property bordering the intersection and brings traffic closer to their homes.

But the more important negative aspect of a project of this scope will be the transformation of a beautiful and rather quiet portion of the neighborhood into an unattractive and bustling aberration where traffic will move continuously in the roundabout all day. Roundabouts should be used in commercial areas, not residential.

JAMES SHALER

West Toledo

Maintenance an issue at golf course

I played Detweiler Golf Course recently and don’t remember it being in worse shape. The fairways were bumpy with many burned-out patches. There were no tee boxes. Instead, a section of fairway was cut low in the shape of one. Several years ago The Blade published a letter I wrote advocating that our local Metropark system take over the management and running of Detweiler. They should have done it then. They need to do it now.

SCOTT BODELL

Springfield Township