December 12, 2024 • 37 mins
Join us for an insightful conversation with Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, the dynamic leader of Toledo, Ohio. Since taking office, Mayor Kapszukiewicz has focused on revitalizing the city through economic development, community engagement, and sustainable initiatives. A dedicated public servant, he has worked tirelessly to enhance the quality of life for all Toledoans. Tune in as Mayor Kapszukiewicz shares his vision for the city, the challenges he faces, and the exciting opportunities ahead for the Toledo community.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Good morning, and welcome to the Voices of Legacy on
WGTE Public Media. Today, we are honored to have a
very special guest and another then, well, mister Wade, how
do you pronounce that last name? Against her? Slowly?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
But it's well, how about this, I say capsicicvach. The
reality is there's probably a you know, butcher or a
shepherd over in Poland who's pronouncing it totally differently and correctly,
and I'm saying it wrong. But I say capsic cavage.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I think that's the way to go, mister Wade capsicavag
the fifty eighth mayor of Toledo, Ohio. Wade has been
a front runner on the revitalization of our fair city,
the Glass City as it were. I think many people
remember Toledo alive back when I was a kid. Actually
I'm a little bit older. I was surprised to see
that he was elected back in twenty seventeen. Under his leadership,
(01:17):
Toledo has made tremendous strides in economic development, improving public safety,
expanding our educational base and opportunities for you. His passion
for public service is evident through his long standing commitment
to the community I'm building you up. Wad you gotta
do good today. Having previously served as Lucas County Treasurer
(01:41):
and a member of the Toledo Council, Mayor Capscavage is
dedicated to creating a regional water system, hiring diverse police officers,
and improving Toledo's infrastructure, which I think is one of
the greatest benefits that we have as a community. Being
a property developer previously myself, he's also a devoted husband
(02:02):
and father, and today we're here to find out more
about mister Wade, our honorable Mayor. Good morning, mister Bier.
How are you.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I'm doing well, happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
We're happy to have you, Thankful that you decided to
come within your busy schedule.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I always make time for forums like this. I enjoy
talking about Toledo. You know, I think there's I think
we have there's some good things happening in this town now.
You know, Goodness knows, we're not perfect, yes, but I
think we take two steps forward for every step back,
and it's an exciting time to be in Toledo and
be a part of our momentum.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Absolutely so, you admit there are some challenges, but Nevertheless,
I think as a community, if we come together and unite,
we will be able to overcome those challenges and move
forward and hopefully embrace the very thing that I mentioned
as we're doing some research on you, the infrastructure that
we have here. I think that's one of the greatest
benefits of Toledo and Lucas County is not the what
(03:05):
what most people talk about publicly in the negative or
pejorative as far as the dilapidation and in all of
the empty and vacant lots up under the ground. There's
plenty of infrastructure that could spur, should spur, and I
think in the future will more growth, more growth in
the city. You've been serving in Toledo for several years, now,
(03:28):
what do you think about pretty much what I.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Just said, Well, I agree, and I guess I would
say there's a lot of different ways to look at infrastructure.
In the most literal terms. Sure, we have, you know,
the infrastructure of a you know, industrial city, a city
that does things and makes things. We have, you know,
access to a deep water port. The longest north south
(03:55):
road in the United States of America I seventy five,
which goes from from Susain Marie Michigan, Miami, Florida, and
the longest East West road I'm ninety, which goes from
Seattle to Boston. I mean, I'm no geometry expert, but
even I know they were only allowed to intersect in
one location. And I'll be darned if it is he
doesn't happen right here in Toledo. So that's that's a
(04:16):
kind of infrastructure that I think you most commonly think
about when you think about, you know, the advantageous location
and sort of, to use a real estate term, the
bones of Toledo. And having just benefited from the American
Rescue Plans, y influx of dollars in our case was
one hundred and eighty million dollars from the federal government
(04:37):
post COVID that allowed us to make some real investments
in our infrastructure. We actually the first expenditure we made,
the first ten million dollars of art money that we spent,
was to once and for all eliminate all of the
private lead service lines that exist in Toledo. You know,
(04:58):
if you might remember what happened in Flint several years ago,
that can happen until it anymore won't happen in Toledo
because now the lead service lines are gone. We replaced them,
and you know, we had a plan to do that
over time, but it would have taken I think thirty
two or thirty three years. The American Rescue Plan comes
along and they've been moved and improved in three years now.
(05:23):
So that's infrastructure in one sense. And in addition to that,
there are you know, countless upgrades to our park system
that we made. And we've never fixed more roads in
Toledo than we are now. You know, when I became mayor,
we were resurfacing about seven roads a year, not seven
(05:44):
lane miles, seven roads, less than three lane miles a year.
Now we're resurfacing one hundred and twenty roads a year
and about fifty lane miles. That's an infrastructure improvement. We're
building a new YMCA over the Warren Sherman neighborhood, part
of the central city that needs that kind of investment. So, yes,
(06:05):
that kind of infrastructure is important and we're doing it.
But if you want to really sort of pull back
to the view from thirty thousand feet, when I think
of in some ways, when I think of the structural
advantages of this part of the country and a different
way of looking at infrastructure. I'm going to point to
(06:26):
the fact that we are located on top of twenty
percent of all the fresh water on planet Earth. Call
this region of the country what you want. Some people
pejoratively call it the snow belt or the rost belt.
I call it the water belt because at a time
when the world is getting thirstier and thirstier, it's not
(06:47):
a bad thing to have those great lakes in our backyard.
Fifth of all the fresh water on the planet Earth
are located in those great lakes. And by the end
of this century, they believe that fresh water will have
surpassed oil is the most valuable commodity on Earth. That's
for two reasons. One, I think the world is weaning
(07:08):
itself off fossil fuels. The United States will go kicking
and screaming into that brave new world, I'm sure, but
even we will get the memo that that is what
needs to happen. But the other force that is happening
is just as real, and that is, you know, the
world is thirsty here in this country. You know, you
(07:28):
think of California, Arizona, Nevada, you know, parts of the
West where there's wild fires, and they're rationing water and
all kinds, to say nothing of sub Saharan Africa, where
they're desperate for a drop of water. We have the
water in our backyard.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
You know.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I think of my mom, who just you know, she
was born in nineteen fifty and that is not out
mom's age, but that's just I understand. But the point
is it, you know, that was a census year. Nineteen
fifty was the census year right in the middle of
the twentieth century. When she was born, there were two
billion people on planet Earth. Now that she is the
(08:06):
age of twenty twenty four minus nineteen fifty, you can
figure it on your own, there's eight billion people on
planet Earth. So in one lifetime, just one, just my
mom's lifetime, the population of the Earth has quadrupled. What's
it going to do in the next seventy four years,
what's going to do in the seventy four years after that.
All of this is conspiring to make fresh water the
(08:29):
most valuable infrastructure that a community can have, and no
one has that the way this part of the country does.
And I you know, this part of the country has
kind of taken, you know, some shots to the gut
here over the last seventy years, and not just Toledo,
it's Buffalo and Detroit and Cleveland and Milwaukee. You know,
you know, the whether it's whether it was NAFTA, bad
(08:52):
trade deals, globalization, whatever you want to call it. You know,
investment and jobs of sort of population has kind of
shifted in the way.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
And yet this.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Region about one hundred years from now, because of the
access to this fresh water, I truly believe it will
people will look at this part of the world that
the way right now. It seems strange to say the
way right now we look at Saudi Arabia in other words,
that place in the world where the most valuable commodity resides.
(09:23):
So I am bullish on this region, in this city.
You know, sure, in the short term, we're making positive
steps in the right direction. You know we are. You know,
our crime stats are moving the right direction. We're winning
awards for our economic development. I mean, there are good
things happening in the short term, but I'm most excited
about our long term prospects just because of that infrastructure.
(09:47):
So that might not have been the infrastructure you're referring to,
but that's what I think.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
We're talking about the same thing longer. I think it's
wise for us to think past ourselves. It's the responsibility
really of any type of leadership, me being in the past,
for you being at city hall. We have to think
passed ourselves towards our future. We're not. We're being very selfish,
and there's a legacy which this show is about that's
(10:10):
to be had. But we were kind of skipping over.
I guess the real reason why you're here. Tell us about,
mister Wade. Where are you from? Where'd you go to school?
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Okay, Well, I was born in San Diego, California, but
that's only because my dad was in the Navy, so
I was born, he was stationed there, and I was
born on the Balboa something called the Balboa Naval Hospital.
So and like so many southern California families, we moved
to Toledo for the weather. But I'm glad that my
(10:46):
one laugh line, No, I mean he essentially my dad
was from Connecticut, my mom was from Toledo. So when
his time in the Navy ended, I imagine a vote of
some kind was taken as to whether they were going
to move back to where his family was from Connecticut
or where her family was from Toledo. And just like
(11:06):
every tie vote in the history of marriage.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
The wife that the wife won.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
It's like in baseball, tie goes to the runner. Well
this so anyhow, So I was born in San Diego,
but that's just because of you know, my dad being
in the Navy and we so we moved back to
my mom's town, Toledo when I was still a baby.
So I have no memories of that, and I've been
essentially in Toledo ever since, with the exception of a
(11:33):
little you know, collegiate stays in Milwaukee where I did
my undergrad and ann Arbor where I did my graduate
school work. So I went to uh, you know, we
lived over near sort of Miracle Mile in the northwest
(11:54):
part of Toledo. In fact, my folks still live in
the same house I grew up in over on Capestrano.
They you know, have been married for fifty four years,
and I'm sure right now they are, you know, arguing
over the remote control or whatever people have been married
for fifty four years do, but they're doing it right
there over in Capustrander. I went to Regina Chiley Grade School,
(12:17):
so it went the Catholic education route sort of a
classic you know, Polish Catholic family from you know, north
part of Toledo, Reginia Charlie Grade School, then Saint Francis
High School, and then I joke that was not yet
enough Catholic guilt coursing through my veins. So then I decide, well,
I got to go to college a Catholic couch. So
(12:39):
I went up to Marquette University in Milwaukee, the Jesuit
school up in Milwaukee. Was fortunate enough to get a
full ride, right full academic scholarship, so you know, I
didn't have to you know, I was able to save
money that some of my friends are still paying back
in college loans. But it was experience at Marquette, and
(13:02):
then after Marquette, I got a master's degree from the
University of Michigan. I do tell people though, despite that fact,
I am among the world's biggest Ohio State football fans.
So depending on what I don't have to put you
out now, depending on what room I'm working, I can
either truthfully emphasize that you know, University of Michigan class
at ninety six, and that's true, not lying. But then
(13:24):
I can also speak with great passion about about Ohio state.
So that's my educational journey. But you know, essentially, you know,
with the exception of you know, sort of living in
the dorm in Milwaukee or living, I'm I'm about as
Toledo is you can get. My mom was a preschool teacher,
you know, taught little three and four year olds at
a school over a different part of West Toledo called
(13:47):
fair Green Preschool. She also taught that on weekends, would
teach art at the museum. So she's very artistic, you know,
right brain, creative sort of person. My dad was a
Taledo police officer and has a very mathematical He's the uh, analytical, analytical,
(14:08):
left brain type of guy. And so I think in
some ways I'm a mix of the two of them,
like most kids are of their parents. So yeah, just
a classic uh uh you know, middle class Toledo.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Uh up.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
You know, dad's a cop, mom's a teacher Catholic school.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
So you think your yeah, your passion for service was inherited.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Well I do. I think it was inherited in a
lot of ways.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Again, dad's a cop, mom's a teacher. You know, there's
a part of that a ton of teachers in my family.
You know, my dad is one of six kids and
I I want to say four of his siblings or teachers.
And actually, though he ended up not using it, his
degrees and teaching, I actually remember he probably would have
gotten in trouble of this, but I think the statute
(14:55):
of limitations has expired. I mean, he he always worked nights,
so his whole career worked midnights. And I remember in
high school, you know, him leaving for work, getting his
squad car and then coming back to our house and
then helping me with my calculus for you know, forty
five minutes. So he's so yeah, so there's that part
(15:15):
of service obviously, something of a military family. I mentioned
being born on naval base, so you know, he's you know,
a lot of a lot of being from Connecticut and
not far from a little town called Grotten where they
have a big naval base. A lot of they're all
in the Navy. So yeah, sure there's a service part
there and family. But if you actually to tell the
(15:39):
story of I suppose how I decided to serve the
way I did, because there's a lot of different ways
to serve the community, you'd have to think back to
my time at Marquette, where I was influenced by a
Catholic priest. It's an interesting story, you know. When I
(15:59):
went to market, I wanted to be a journalist. I
thought I'd be writing for the New York Times today
or you know, some sort of you know.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
I was.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Journalism major. You know, who, what, when, way or why?
Speaker 1 (16:10):
How?
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Inverted pyramid style. But I had to take an intro
to POLISI course just to satisfy my as a core
part of the you know, journalism degree at Saint Francis.
I had never taken political science to the extent the
word science was in the course title. I was I
was sure I wasn't going to enjoy it if the
word science was in the course title. But the professor,
(16:33):
and this would not be too unusual in a school
like Marquette, was a priest, father Tim O'Brien, and he
was just a charismatic guy. Still is he's you know,
he's he's probably eighty or so now, but I still
keep in touch and he, probably next to my parents,
is probably the number one influence in my life. And
he would talk about, you know, changing the world and
(16:56):
making a difference, and you know, first of all, he
made the subject matter interesting. Very colorful guy, not the
standard and not the kind of priest I was familiar with.
Was a bore no and he was you know, he
smoked a cigar, and he kind of his language, you know,
sometimes he would use salty language. I mean, he was
just an interesting guy, but at his core, and I
(17:20):
didn't maybe realize it at the time, you know, when
I was a seventeen year old freshman, you know, sitting
in the front row of his class. But now that
I'm older, I think back. Okay, Father Tim O'Brien, you know,
so I when would he have been born? You know,
he was probably born in the early forties. As my guest,
he would have come of age at a time you know,
(17:41):
you know, the history of the Catholic Church during Vatican Two,
you know, which is a time of you know, sort
of openness and you know whatever. But he's also Irish
and proudly Irish, you know. So think about you know,
in his formative years that Kennedy's were on the Ascent
and the Peace Corps. And I know it's quaint and
no one trust me, no one, And these days thinks
(18:01):
of public life is a noble calling. I get it,
you know, I think politicians tests somewhere around Ebola. But
there was a time and he was influenced by it
when it really was a noble calling, you know, and
you know, folks like him were locking arms with Martin
(18:21):
Luther King and you know, marching and bringing about social
so anyway, he was always talking about change in the world,
and you know, feeding the hungry and housing the homeless and.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
All that stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
And you know, when you're a wide eyed freshman, you
know from Toledo, I took soaked it up and you know,
you know, began developing different interests, picked up a double major,
and you know, academically, started moving a different direction. But
he always talked about trying to get, you know, involved
(18:50):
in public life, because you know, there's people in this
world who make decisions that affect millions of people and
distribute millions of dollars. And do you know what we
call these people? We call them mayor, we call him counsel,
and we call him state senator, we call him congressman.
You know, wouldn't it be something of those people were
motivated for the right reasons? Now, goodness knows. Thirty some
years later, not everyone I've met in this vocation is
(19:13):
similarly motivated. But I have told myself that if I
ever stopped believing that this was a way to make
a real difference for people, then I would, you know,
go do something else. But you haven't done that yet, No,
because because there is you can make a difference if
you're motivating the right. So he's a big influence in
(19:34):
my life, and I stay in touch with him. When
I got married, we you know, flew him into town
and he married my wife and I and you know,
he's you know, he is an important influence. So that
I think that, yes, a sense of service, but it
comes from a couple of different places. Family, sure, but
(19:54):
an awful lot from Father O'Brien. So I joked that
whenever I screw something up there as a Catholic priest
from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to blame, you can blame Father O'Brien.
It's all his faults or outside be you know, I
don't who knows writing for the Blade today.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
So oh wow, So all these things led you into service.
What was your first for a into attempting politics?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Well, it's again because of Father O'Brien's influence. I wanted
to get involved. I wanted to run for office as
soon as I could, you know, and so directly out
of college while still in college. Right. So, in fact,
and I'm not saying this is the smartest decision anyone's
ever made, but I was. I so badly had the
fire in my belly to serve that. After my undergrad
(20:40):
I was starting to you know, I was applying to
different law schools and grad schools and whatnot. And I
was fortunate, and I worked hard and got good grades,
so I got into all of them. I got into
Harvard actually, oh really, and I might be the only
person in the history of the world to get accepted
and say nope, no thanks because at that and again,
(21:02):
looking back, it doesn't seem like the smart's decision. But
I said, well, wait a second. You know, Boston is
seventeen hours away from Toledo, and Arbor is forty five
minutes away from Toledo. So I would have to forestall,
you know, getting involved politically. If I went to Boston,
I'd have to delay a full three years however long.
I can't do that. I have to get involved. So
(21:24):
the and again, maybe Harvard's number one Michigan's number three.
It's not like I admitted there was a huge drop
in the rankings. But I very much decided to go,
you know, for my post grad work at Michigan because
it was so close to Toledo and I was able
to be able to get involved while a student. So
(21:49):
while getting my master's at Michigan, I ran four and
was elected to the school board. And that was She's
nineteen ninety five, so I just turned twenty three, so
it was you know, but again that's father, Brian. It's
like you got to get involved and got to do it.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Now.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
I'm boom boom boom, go go.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I can imagine you with the Boston accent going to Harvard.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Well, my dad still has one because again they're that
whole side of the families from New England and got
a little town over near the Rhode Island border, so
he has a In fact, I'm told I don't remember this,
but I'm told when I was very young, you know,
like preschool, kindergarten, that the speech therapist at school, you know,
(22:34):
spending time with me and it couldn't figure out what
was wrong with me, and I wasn't pronouncing certain words. Right,
And so they brought my parents in kind of had
the parent teacher session, and I think my mom was
doing most of the talking at that time, but then
my dad said a few things and the therapist said,
wait a second, wait a second, say that again, you know,
(22:56):
and he was there weren't many ours being pronounced, and
so she said, okay, all right, never get it stop, Okay,
this will go away, you know. So I guess I
must have had a little New England accent speech and petitive. Yeah,
my dad to this day, the the man's name Bob
(23:16):
as in Robert sounds exactly the same as the woman's
name Barb as in Barbara. So for my mom's name, well,
when my dad pronounced it, they both sound bob, whether
you know, Bob as in Robert and Bob asn't Barbara
anyhow So, but that is that's why I went to
(23:37):
uh ann Arber because it was close to Toledo, and
I was, you know, I was able to. I mean,
I lived, I had an apartment up there both of
my years. But I you know, burned, burned a rut
into twenty three going.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
So did you win?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Oh, yes, no, no I won. I I don't know
what this says about me. But I've I've always been
fortunate enough to I've put my name before the voters
ten times in my starting in nineteen ninety five for
the school board and most recently in twenty twenty one
and running for reelection as mayor.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Ninety five. Who were you working under at the school board?
Speaker 2 (24:12):
It was the county school Board, so it was a
man named Tom Baker Tom Baker, and Sandy Frish was his,
you know, top deputy, and then of course she took
over after he retired. But anyhow so, starting in nineteen
ninety five and then reelection as mayor in twenty one,
(24:33):
I've been fortunate enough to always come out on top.
I'm ten for ten, so that's I don't want to
tempt fate because at some point I'll be ten for
eleven maybe, but that's I'm proud of that. I'm proud
that I've always been able to, you know, make my
case to the voters and I've never lost. So there's
(24:55):
the first time for everything. I'm hoping not to experience that,
but I've been fortunate over the years. But yes, I won.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
They are any other vocations.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
I at different times have you know, kind of have that.
I'm not a licensed social worker. I mean you, I
told you my educational journey, but I think I probably
have the heart of a social worker and call me
what you want, sort of a you know, bleeding heart,
do good or sort of personality. So while I was
on city council, I worked at a drug and alcohol
(25:28):
recovery agency that doesn't exist anymore, but folks with a
little sense of history might remember a place called Compass. Yes, Compass.
I worked to come into headquartered right by the Collingwood
Art Center, right across from Scott High School at the
old Merryman's College. That was my office over there. It
ended up getting sort of, I don't stay bought out,
but merged with Zests Center. And so anyhow, so I've
(25:51):
worked at you know, in that case, trying to you know,
get folks off a drug and alcohol addiction. I worked
at a think tank actually when I was in the
on city council also, something called the New Ohio Institute
kind of studied statewide education policy to come up with
(26:13):
better way to fund public education. That was when the
Duolf decision was being handed down. The draft decision, of course,
declaring that the way Ohio Fund's public education is unconstitutional
because of our orber reliance on the property tax. And
four times the Supreme Court has said that, and the
(26:33):
legislature still hasn't. We're still you know, so I kind
of thought that the work I was doing twenty five
years ago would have been it's just as relevant as ever, so,
you know, you know, so worked at the New Hio
Institute think tank, worked at Compass. But then when I
was elected County Treasurer in two thousand and four, that
that really was all. That's a full time position where
city council and school board is you know, it was
(26:55):
kind of a quasi you know, it's important, but it's
not full time. So but being county treasurer was and
so when I was elected County treasure that that took
my full time focus. And then obviously as mayor, that's
there are no days off. Many as the time I
find myself, you know, sitting at church or shopping at
(27:16):
Kroger and I'm reminded that there's a pothole that needs
to be filled. So so anyhow so that hopefully in
a nice way, in a very polite way. So those
that's uh, those are the other things I've sort of
done as an adult, but I do wistfully look back
on My first job ever in this world was being
a caddye at Inverness when I was fourteen, and you know,
(27:37):
life coming full circle. My son has done that the
last couple of summers.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
So oh awesome.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
I still still have never golf there. I don't. I
don't think my game is good enough and there's awesome.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Oh no, my dad sucked and he went there.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Well, I I'm always I don't know. I suppose I'm
more comfortable as someone who assists the rich people who
golf at country clubs than being you know, at the
end of the day, I'm the son of the cop
and the son of the teacher.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
With grew up, you know, with barbed wire on the
fence in our backyard still, which is actually still there, seriously,
I mean not It wasn't to keep us in or
you know, but there's a It was kind of a
light industrial business right behind where we lived. It was
different things over the years, most recently P and J
(28:28):
Industries over kind of Laski and Lewis. Anyhow, that backed
up to the back of.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
My imagination was like chickens in the back.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
No no, no, no, no, no, it wasn't that. It was
because and actually what it the real what that really
meant was that, you know, growing up, whenever the nerf
ball would go over the back fence or the whiffle ball,
you couldn't jump over the fence and going around you know,
having I mean, it would be a twenty minute, you know,
walk all the way out to Lewis and back and
(28:57):
maybe take your bite. So we got pretty good at
and it would take a couple of us kids pulling
the bottom of the fence.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Oh yeah, but you can't screw that up.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Well, and I wouldn't be doing that at my current size,
so you'd have to sneak in there well, but not
thin enough to not for that pull that move off.
So anyhow, that's what I mean. But anyhow, my point
is very you know, it's a very middle class, working
class and I don't know, I was not raised in
a family that golfed at Inverness, I guess, is my point.
(29:33):
I totally get it. But I'm I'm a caddie for
the people who they're golf at metaphor, that's right, not
someone who golfs at Internet so understood.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Well, that's awesome. It's exactly what we were looking for today,
to hear about who you are, because I think a
lot of times people will will have a character at
your perception of people that are in public service, even myself.
I'm in ministry, have been doing it for twenty years,
been in the pastor for ten years, and people put
you up on this pedestal, love you, hate you, and
(30:05):
they really don't know who you are. And I think
it's important, as you did today, to really express who
you are, where you come from, and why you do
what you do. And I think you've done that well today.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Well I've enjoyed the opportunity, but not because I have
any zest for talking about myself, but to the extent
it helps me talk about Toledo's and how it put
me in a position to help you know Toledo that
I enjoy that part. There's nothing quite like serving your town,
(30:41):
in your hometown. And I've been here my whole life.
This is I love Toledo. Toledo has and finally, I
think finally people around the country are starting to see
Toledo for what it is and for the potential it has.
It is a wonderful, mid sized Midwestern town with all
of the Midwestern nice you know that maybe you don't
(31:03):
get on the coast, but with the cost of living
that you also don't get on the coast. I mean it's,
you know, one eighth the cost of what it would
live in Chicago, and I think one tenth of what
it would uh cost to live in la and one
twelfth of New York. And you can you can enjoy
some world class amenities for a reasonable cost of living.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
I mean, back to the crossroads, We're not far from
all those places you just mentioned exactly.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
We have a one of the best zoos in the country,
if not the best zoo in the country. We have
and we probably have a top ten museum. And when
I say top ten, I'm stacking that up against anything
you'd see in New York and Chicago and whatnot. Our
park system is number one in the country, just one
that distinction. We don't have the Yankees. We got the
mud Hens and we love so we have all those things.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
The mud Hens are still the world renowned. Thank god
for mister.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Pacos and Jamie Farr.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
But think helped.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
But but yeah, to your point, though, you can enjoy
all that.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
But if you.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Really, you know, if you feel the need for you know,
something really big, well, then you're an hour from Detroit
and two hours from Cleveland, two and a half hours
from Columbus, four hours from Chicago.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
And I work on that airport. I used to fly
out of Toledo and it was very, very convenient. It
was I have to go to Detroit with a driver.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
There's there's a lot going on there in terms of
I mean, get into the way the airlines were deregulated.
You know, that had something to do with it. But
nonetheless it's I enjoyed being here today because it gave
me the chance to talk about Toledo. Yes, and there's
some good things going on, and I'm proud to be
a part of them.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Absolutely. Well, we thank you for joining us today for
the voices of legacy. I didn't really hit the last question.
I want to hit you with one more. What do
you think your legacy Isn't you kind of hit on
some of it? And what would you like for it
to be.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
I think my legacy might be that I was mayor
at a time when Toledo, you know, maybe turned the
corner and started making some progress. You know, when mayor
at a time when the rest of the world did
start noticing, you know, that Toledo's a pretty darn good
(33:17):
place to live. I mean it seemed like when I
was a kid grown up here, you know, not that
you can always put a lot of faith in these rankings,
but I hated the rankings that would come out every
once in a while with the age's you know what
are we now you know, lasting prevention of scurvy or
just something now what? But now you look at these
ranks all of a sudden, Okay, number one most affordable
(33:38):
city to live in or number two for you know,
to raise a family or whatever it is. Reeler dot
com said that Toledo is the hottest housing market in
the United States of America in twenty twenty four. Site
Selection magazine has this ranked in the you know, top
ten for seven years in a row for new business investment.
So I think, if there's a I can say, I
(34:00):
like like it to be, you know, being mayored during
this transitional time when people started seeing Toledo for the
potential it has and you know, making some of the
tougher long term decisions to get us ready for that
future growth, the regional water system that we created in
my first year as mayor, or finally fixing these roads
(34:23):
after you know, years of neglect, the work that's happening
on the on the Mammi River and the riverfront to
sort of reimagine that our skyline with the Glassity Metro
Park and things of that. And in terms of what
they might say about me, all I want them to
say is that he tried his best, because that's and
that is what I say. I you know, I don't
(34:47):
people come up to me, you know, a lot and say, hey,
you know you're doing a good job or doing this
and I and I say to him, sincerely, I say
I'm trying my best. Is that that is no matter what,
whether whether good or bad, I have worked my rear
end off. This is I have done the best I
can do for the city I love, and I just
(35:07):
that would be a nice epithet for folks to say
when I that I tried my best and sincerely did
work my hardest to make to you a great place.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Awesome, awesome, Well, thank you so much, honorable mere cats
cabbage for cats of cabbage. We'll get it right one day.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
Fortunately, the Capscavage part is correct. I'm not sure about
the honorable part. But you're here.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
You are mere. But we thank you for being in
the building today and sharing your life with us and
our listeners on the Voices of Legacy here on w
g T E. Remember that you're writing your own legacy
every day that you live. Be kind to someone today.
(36:01):
Thank you for listening to the Voices of a Legacy.
This is your friend, Pastor Carl Mitchell, the Third, your
host of this program. We want you to go to
WGTE dot org slash legacy to like, share, subscribe, and
hear all of our past podcast and our future podcast.
Be a friend and join with us from the Voices
(36:24):
of Legacy, where you're writing your own legacy every day
that you live. Have a blessing. WGTE voices around us.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Wgt supported in part by the American Rescue Plan Act
funds allocated by the City of Toledo and the Lucas
County Commissioners and administered by the Arts Commission
Good morning, and welcome to the Voices of Legacy on
WGTE Public Media. Today, we are honored to have a
very special guest and another then, well, mister Wade, how
do you pronounce that last name? Against her? Slowly?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
But it's well, how about this, I say capsicicvach. The
reality is there's probably a you know, butcher or a
shepherd over in Poland who's pronouncing it totally differently and correctly,
and I'm saying it wrong. But I say capsic cavage.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I think that's the way to go, mister Wade capsicavag
the fifty eighth mayor of Toledo, Ohio. Wade has been
a front runner on the revitalization of our fair city,
the Glass City as it were. I think many people
remember Toledo alive back when I was a kid. Actually
I'm a little bit older. I was surprised to see
that he was elected back in twenty seventeen. Under his leadership,
(01:17):
Toledo has made tremendous strides in economic development, improving public safety,
expanding our educational base and opportunities for you. His passion
for public service is evident through his long standing commitment
to the community I'm building you up. Wad you gotta
do good today. Having previously served as Lucas County Treasurer
(01:41):
and a member of the Toledo Council, Mayor Capscavage is
dedicated to creating a regional water system, hiring diverse police officers,
and improving Toledo's infrastructure, which I think is one of
the greatest benefits that we have as a community. Being
a property developer previously myself, he's also a devoted husband
(02:02):
and father, and today we're here to find out more
about mister Wade, our honorable Mayor. Good morning, mister Bier.
How are you.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I'm doing well, happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
We're happy to have you, Thankful that you decided to
come within your busy schedule.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I always make time for forums like this. I enjoy
talking about Toledo. You know, I think there's I think
we have there's some good things happening in this town now.
You know, Goodness knows, we're not perfect, yes, but I
think we take two steps forward for every step back,
and it's an exciting time to be in Toledo and
be a part of our momentum.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Absolutely so, you admit there are some challenges, but Nevertheless,
I think as a community, if we come together and unite,
we will be able to overcome those challenges and move
forward and hopefully embrace the very thing that I mentioned
as we're doing some research on you, the infrastructure that
we have here. I think that's one of the greatest
benefits of Toledo and Lucas County is not the what
(03:05):
what most people talk about publicly in the negative or
pejorative as far as the dilapidation and in all of
the empty and vacant lots up under the ground. There's
plenty of infrastructure that could spur, should spur, and I
think in the future will more growth, more growth in
the city. You've been serving in Toledo for several years, now,
(03:28):
what do you think about pretty much what I.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Just said, Well, I agree, and I guess I would
say there's a lot of different ways to look at infrastructure.
In the most literal terms. Sure, we have, you know,
the infrastructure of a you know, industrial city, a city
that does things and makes things. We have, you know,
access to a deep water port. The longest north south
(03:55):
road in the United States of America I seventy five,
which goes from from Susain Marie Michigan, Miami, Florida, and
the longest East West road I'm ninety, which goes from
Seattle to Boston. I mean, I'm no geometry expert, but
even I know they were only allowed to intersect in
one location. And I'll be darned if it is he
doesn't happen right here in Toledo. So that's that's a
(04:16):
kind of infrastructure that I think you most commonly think
about when you think about, you know, the advantageous location
and sort of, to use a real estate term, the
bones of Toledo. And having just benefited from the American
Rescue Plans, y influx of dollars in our case was
one hundred and eighty million dollars from the federal government
(04:37):
post COVID that allowed us to make some real investments
in our infrastructure. We actually the first expenditure we made,
the first ten million dollars of art money that we spent,
was to once and for all eliminate all of the
private lead service lines that exist in Toledo. You know,
(04:58):
if you might remember what happened in Flint several years ago,
that can happen until it anymore won't happen in Toledo
because now the lead service lines are gone. We replaced them,
and you know, we had a plan to do that
over time, but it would have taken I think thirty
two or thirty three years. The American Rescue Plan comes
along and they've been moved and improved in three years now.
(05:23):
So that's infrastructure in one sense. And in addition to that,
there are you know, countless upgrades to our park system
that we made. And we've never fixed more roads in
Toledo than we are now. You know, when I became mayor,
we were resurfacing about seven roads a year, not seven
(05:44):
lane miles, seven roads, less than three lane miles a year.
Now we're resurfacing one hundred and twenty roads a year
and about fifty lane miles. That's an infrastructure improvement. We're
building a new YMCA over the Warren Sherman neighborhood, part
of the central city that needs that kind of investment. So, yes,
(06:05):
that kind of infrastructure is important and we're doing it.
But if you want to really sort of pull back
to the view from thirty thousand feet, when I think
of in some ways, when I think of the structural
advantages of this part of the country and a different
way of looking at infrastructure. I'm going to point to
(06:26):
the fact that we are located on top of twenty
percent of all the fresh water on planet Earth. Call
this region of the country what you want. Some people
pejoratively call it the snow belt or the rost belt.
I call it the water belt because at a time
when the world is getting thirstier and thirstier, it's not
(06:47):
a bad thing to have those great lakes in our backyard.
Fifth of all the fresh water on the planet Earth
are located in those great lakes. And by the end
of this century, they believe that fresh water will have
surpassed oil is the most valuable commodity on Earth. That's
for two reasons. One, I think the world is weaning
(07:08):
itself off fossil fuels. The United States will go kicking
and screaming into that brave new world, I'm sure, but
even we will get the memo that that is what
needs to happen. But the other force that is happening
is just as real, and that is, you know, the
world is thirsty here in this country. You know, you
(07:28):
think of California, Arizona, Nevada, you know, parts of the
West where there's wild fires, and they're rationing water and
all kinds, to say nothing of sub Saharan Africa, where
they're desperate for a drop of water. We have the
water in our backyard.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
You know.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I think of my mom, who just you know, she
was born in nineteen fifty and that is not out
mom's age, but that's just I understand. But the point
is it, you know, that was a census year. Nineteen
fifty was the census year right in the middle of
the twentieth century. When she was born, there were two
billion people on planet Earth. Now that she is the
(08:06):
age of twenty twenty four minus nineteen fifty, you can
figure it on your own, there's eight billion people on
planet Earth. So in one lifetime, just one, just my
mom's lifetime, the population of the Earth has quadrupled. What's
it going to do in the next seventy four years,
what's going to do in the seventy four years after that.
All of this is conspiring to make fresh water the
(08:29):
most valuable infrastructure that a community can have, and no
one has that the way this part of the country does.
And I you know, this part of the country has
kind of taken, you know, some shots to the gut
here over the last seventy years, and not just Toledo,
it's Buffalo and Detroit and Cleveland and Milwaukee. You know,
you know, the whether it's whether it was NAFTA, bad
(08:52):
trade deals, globalization, whatever you want to call it. You know,
investment and jobs of sort of population has kind of
shifted in the way.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
And yet this.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Region about one hundred years from now, because of the
access to this fresh water, I truly believe it will
people will look at this part of the world that
the way right now. It seems strange to say the
way right now we look at Saudi Arabia in other words,
that place in the world where the most valuable commodity resides.
(09:23):
So I am bullish on this region, in this city.
You know, sure, in the short term, we're making positive
steps in the right direction. You know we are. You know,
our crime stats are moving the right direction. We're winning
awards for our economic development. I mean, there are good
things happening in the short term, but I'm most excited
about our long term prospects just because of that infrastructure.
(09:47):
So that might not have been the infrastructure you're referring to,
but that's what I think.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
We're talking about the same thing longer. I think it's
wise for us to think past ourselves. It's the responsibility
really of any type of leadership, me being in the past,
for you being at city hall. We have to think
passed ourselves towards our future. We're not. We're being very selfish,
and there's a legacy which this show is about that's
(10:10):
to be had. But we were kind of skipping over.
I guess the real reason why you're here. Tell us about,
mister Wade. Where are you from? Where'd you go to school?
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Okay, Well, I was born in San Diego, California, but
that's only because my dad was in the Navy, so
I was born, he was stationed there, and I was
born on the Balboa something called the Balboa Naval Hospital.
So and like so many southern California families, we moved
to Toledo for the weather. But I'm glad that my
(10:46):
one laugh line, No, I mean he essentially my dad
was from Connecticut, my mom was from Toledo. So when
his time in the Navy ended, I imagine a vote of
some kind was taken as to whether they were going
to move back to where his family was from Connecticut
or where her family was from Toledo. And just like
(11:06):
every tie vote in the history of marriage.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
The wife that the wife won.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
It's like in baseball, tie goes to the runner. Well
this so anyhow, So I was born in San Diego,
but that's just because of you know, my dad being
in the Navy and we so we moved back to
my mom's town, Toledo when I was still a baby.
So I have no memories of that, and I've been
essentially in Toledo ever since, with the exception of a
(11:33):
little you know, collegiate stays in Milwaukee where I did
my undergrad and ann Arbor where I did my graduate
school work. So I went to uh, you know, we
lived over near sort of Miracle Mile in the northwest
(11:54):
part of Toledo. In fact, my folks still live in
the same house I grew up in over on Capestrano.
They you know, have been married for fifty four years,
and I'm sure right now they are, you know, arguing
over the remote control or whatever people have been married
for fifty four years do, but they're doing it right
there over in Capustrander. I went to Regina Chiley Grade School,
(12:17):
so it went the Catholic education route sort of a
classic you know, Polish Catholic family from you know, north
part of Toledo, Reginia Charlie Grade School, then Saint Francis
High School, and then I joke that was not yet
enough Catholic guilt coursing through my veins. So then I decide, well,
I got to go to college a Catholic couch. So
(12:39):
I went up to Marquette University in Milwaukee, the Jesuit
school up in Milwaukee. Was fortunate enough to get a
full ride, right full academic scholarship, so you know, I
didn't have to you know, I was able to save
money that some of my friends are still paying back
in college loans. But it was experience at Marquette, and
(13:02):
then after Marquette, I got a master's degree from the
University of Michigan. I do tell people though, despite that fact,
I am among the world's biggest Ohio State football fans.
So depending on what I don't have to put you
out now, depending on what room I'm working, I can
either truthfully emphasize that you know, University of Michigan class
at ninety six, and that's true, not lying. But then
(13:24):
I can also speak with great passion about about Ohio state.
So that's my educational journey. But you know, essentially, you know,
with the exception of you know, sort of living in
the dorm in Milwaukee or living, I'm I'm about as
Toledo is you can get. My mom was a preschool teacher,
you know, taught little three and four year olds at
a school over a different part of West Toledo called
(13:47):
fair Green Preschool. She also taught that on weekends, would
teach art at the museum. So she's very artistic, you know,
right brain, creative sort of person. My dad was a
Taledo police officer and has a very mathematical He's the uh, analytical, analytical,
(14:08):
left brain type of guy. And so I think in
some ways I'm a mix of the two of them,
like most kids are of their parents. So yeah, just
a classic uh uh you know, middle class Toledo.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Uh up.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
You know, dad's a cop, mom's a teacher Catholic school.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
So you think your yeah, your passion for service was inherited.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Well I do. I think it was inherited in a
lot of ways.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Again, dad's a cop, mom's a teacher. You know, there's
a part of that a ton of teachers in my family.
You know, my dad is one of six kids and
I I want to say four of his siblings or teachers.
And actually, though he ended up not using it, his
degrees and teaching, I actually remember he probably would have
gotten in trouble of this, but I think the statute
(14:55):
of limitations has expired. I mean, he he always worked nights,
so his whole career worked midnights. And I remember in
high school, you know, him leaving for work, getting his
squad car and then coming back to our house and
then helping me with my calculus for you know, forty
five minutes. So he's so yeah, so there's that part
(15:15):
of service obviously, something of a military family. I mentioned
being born on naval base, so you know, he's you know,
a lot of a lot of being from Connecticut and
not far from a little town called Grotten where they
have a big naval base. A lot of they're all
in the Navy. So yeah, sure there's a service part
there and family. But if you actually to tell the
(15:39):
story of I suppose how I decided to serve the
way I did, because there's a lot of different ways
to serve the community, you'd have to think back to
my time at Marquette, where I was influenced by a
Catholic priest. It's an interesting story, you know. When I
(15:59):
went to market, I wanted to be a journalist. I
thought I'd be writing for the New York Times today
or you know, some sort of you know.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
I was.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Journalism major. You know, who, what, when, way or why?
Speaker 1 (16:10):
How?
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Inverted pyramid style. But I had to take an intro
to POLISI course just to satisfy my as a core
part of the you know, journalism degree at Saint Francis.
I had never taken political science to the extent the
word science was in the course title. I was I
was sure I wasn't going to enjoy it if the
word science was in the course title. But the professor,
(16:33):
and this would not be too unusual in a school
like Marquette, was a priest, father Tim O'Brien, and he
was just a charismatic guy. Still is he's you know,
he's he's probably eighty or so now, but I still
keep in touch and he, probably next to my parents,
is probably the number one influence in my life. And
he would talk about, you know, changing the world and
(16:56):
making a difference, and you know, first of all, he
made the subject matter interesting. Very colorful guy, not the
standard and not the kind of priest I was familiar with.
Was a bore no and he was you know, he
smoked a cigar, and he kind of his language, you know,
sometimes he would use salty language. I mean, he was
just an interesting guy, but at his core, and I
(17:20):
didn't maybe realize it at the time, you know, when
I was a seventeen year old freshman, you know, sitting
in the front row of his class. But now that
I'm older, I think back. Okay, Father Tim O'Brien, you know,
so I when would he have been born? You know,
he was probably born in the early forties. As my guest,
he would have come of age at a time you know,
(17:41):
you know, the history of the Catholic Church during Vatican Two,
you know, which is a time of you know, sort
of openness and you know whatever. But he's also Irish
and proudly Irish, you know. So think about you know,
in his formative years that Kennedy's were on the Ascent
and the Peace Corps. And I know it's quaint and
no one trust me, no one, And these days thinks
(18:01):
of public life is a noble calling. I get it,
you know, I think politicians tests somewhere around Ebola. But
there was a time and he was influenced by it
when it really was a noble calling, you know, and
you know, folks like him were locking arms with Martin
(18:21):
Luther King and you know, marching and bringing about social
so anyway, he was always talking about change in the world,
and you know, feeding the hungry and housing the homeless and.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
All that stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
And you know, when you're a wide eyed freshman, you
know from Toledo, I took soaked it up and you know,
you know, began developing different interests, picked up a double major,
and you know, academically, started moving a different direction. But
he always talked about trying to get, you know, involved
(18:50):
in public life, because you know, there's people in this
world who make decisions that affect millions of people and
distribute millions of dollars. And do you know what we
call these people? We call them mayor, we call him counsel,
and we call him state senator, we call him congressman.
You know, wouldn't it be something of those people were
motivated for the right reasons? Now, goodness knows. Thirty some
years later, not everyone I've met in this vocation is
(19:13):
similarly motivated. But I have told myself that if I
ever stopped believing that this was a way to make
a real difference for people, then I would, you know,
go do something else. But you haven't done that yet, No,
because because there is you can make a difference if
you're motivating the right. So he's a big influence in
(19:34):
my life, and I stay in touch with him. When
I got married, we you know, flew him into town
and he married my wife and I and you know,
he's you know, he is an important influence. So that
I think that, yes, a sense of service, but it
comes from a couple of different places. Family, sure, but
(19:54):
an awful lot from Father O'Brien. So I joked that
whenever I screw something up there as a Catholic priest
from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to blame, you can blame Father O'Brien.
It's all his faults or outside be you know, I
don't who knows writing for the Blade today.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
So oh wow, So all these things led you into service.
What was your first for a into attempting politics?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Well, it's again because of Father O'Brien's influence. I wanted
to get involved. I wanted to run for office as
soon as I could, you know, and so directly out
of college while still in college. Right. So, in fact,
and I'm not saying this is the smartest decision anyone's
ever made, but I was. I so badly had the
fire in my belly to serve that. After my undergrad
(20:40):
I was starting to you know, I was applying to
different law schools and grad schools and whatnot. And I
was fortunate, and I worked hard and got good grades,
so I got into all of them. I got into
Harvard actually, oh really, and I might be the only
person in the history of the world to get accepted
and say nope, no thanks because at that and again,
(21:02):
looking back, it doesn't seem like the smart's decision. But
I said, well, wait a second. You know, Boston is
seventeen hours away from Toledo, and Arbor is forty five
minutes away from Toledo. So I would have to forestall,
you know, getting involved politically. If I went to Boston,
I'd have to delay a full three years however long.
I can't do that. I have to get involved. So
(21:24):
the and again, maybe Harvard's number one Michigan's number three.
It's not like I admitted there was a huge drop
in the rankings. But I very much decided to go,
you know, for my post grad work at Michigan because
it was so close to Toledo and I was able
to be able to get involved while a student. So
(21:49):
while getting my master's at Michigan, I ran four and
was elected to the school board. And that was She's
nineteen ninety five, so I just turned twenty three, so
it was you know, but again that's father, Brian. It's
like you got to get involved and got to do it.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Now.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
I'm boom boom boom, go go.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I can imagine you with the Boston accent going to Harvard.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Well, my dad still has one because again they're that
whole side of the families from New England and got
a little town over near the Rhode Island border, so
he has a In fact, I'm told I don't remember this,
but I'm told when I was very young, you know,
like preschool, kindergarten, that the speech therapist at school, you know,
(22:34):
spending time with me and it couldn't figure out what
was wrong with me, and I wasn't pronouncing certain words. Right,
And so they brought my parents in kind of had
the parent teacher session, and I think my mom was
doing most of the talking at that time, but then
my dad said a few things and the therapist said,
wait a second, wait a second, say that again, you know,
(22:56):
and he was there weren't many ours being pronounced, and
so she said, okay, all right, never get it stop, Okay,
this will go away, you know. So I guess I
must have had a little New England accent speech and petitive. Yeah,
my dad to this day, the the man's name Bob
(23:16):
as in Robert sounds exactly the same as the woman's
name Barb as in Barbara. So for my mom's name, well,
when my dad pronounced it, they both sound bob, whether
you know, Bob as in Robert and Bob asn't Barbara
anyhow So, but that is that's why I went to
(23:37):
uh ann Arber because it was close to Toledo, and
I was, you know, I was able to. I mean,
I lived, I had an apartment up there both of
my years. But I you know, burned, burned a rut
into twenty three going.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
So did you win?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Oh, yes, no, no I won. I I don't know
what this says about me. But I've I've always been
fortunate enough to I've put my name before the voters
ten times in my starting in nineteen ninety five for
the school board and most recently in twenty twenty one
and running for reelection as mayor.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Ninety five. Who were you working under at the school board?
Speaker 2 (24:12):
It was the county school Board, so it was a
man named Tom Baker Tom Baker, and Sandy Frish was his,
you know, top deputy, and then of course she took
over after he retired. But anyhow so, starting in nineteen
ninety five and then reelection as mayor in twenty one,
(24:33):
I've been fortunate enough to always come out on top.
I'm ten for ten, so that's I don't want to
tempt fate because at some point I'll be ten for
eleven maybe, but that's I'm proud of that. I'm proud
that I've always been able to, you know, make my
case to the voters and I've never lost. So there's
(24:55):
the first time for everything. I'm hoping not to experience that,
but I've been fortunate over the years. But yes, I won.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
They are any other vocations.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
I at different times have you know, kind of have that.
I'm not a licensed social worker. I mean you, I
told you my educational journey, but I think I probably
have the heart of a social worker and call me
what you want, sort of a you know, bleeding heart,
do good or sort of personality. So while I was
on city council, I worked at a drug and alcohol
(25:28):
recovery agency that doesn't exist anymore, but folks with a
little sense of history might remember a place called Compass. Yes, Compass.
I worked to come into headquartered right by the Collingwood
Art Center, right across from Scott High School at the
old Merryman's College. That was my office over there. It
ended up getting sort of, I don't stay bought out,
but merged with Zests Center. And so anyhow, so I've
(25:51):
worked at you know, in that case, trying to you know,
get folks off a drug and alcohol addiction. I worked
at a think tank actually when I was in the
on city council also, something called the New Ohio Institute
kind of studied statewide education policy to come up with
(26:13):
better way to fund public education. That was when the
Duolf decision was being handed down. The draft decision, of course,
declaring that the way Ohio Fund's public education is unconstitutional
because of our orber reliance on the property tax. And
four times the Supreme Court has said that, and the
(26:33):
legislature still hasn't. We're still you know, so I kind
of thought that the work I was doing twenty five
years ago would have been it's just as relevant as ever, so,
you know, you know, so worked at the New Hio
Institute think tank, worked at Compass. But then when I
was elected County Treasurer in two thousand and four, that
that really was all. That's a full time position where
city council and school board is you know, it was
(26:55):
kind of a quasi you know, it's important, but it's
not full time. So but being county treasurer was and
so when I was elected County treasure that that took
my full time focus. And then obviously as mayor, that's
there are no days off. Many as the time I
find myself, you know, sitting at church or shopping at
(27:16):
Kroger and I'm reminded that there's a pothole that needs
to be filled. So so anyhow so that hopefully in
a nice way, in a very polite way. So those
that's uh, those are the other things I've sort of
done as an adult, but I do wistfully look back
on My first job ever in this world was being
a caddye at Inverness when I was fourteen, and you know,
(27:37):
life coming full circle. My son has done that the
last couple of summers.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
So oh awesome.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
I still still have never golf there. I don't. I
don't think my game is good enough and there's awesome.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Oh no, my dad sucked and he went there.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Well, I I'm always I don't know. I suppose I'm
more comfortable as someone who assists the rich people who
golf at country clubs than being you know, at the
end of the day, I'm the son of the cop
and the son of the teacher.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
With grew up, you know, with barbed wire on the
fence in our backyard still, which is actually still there, seriously,
I mean not It wasn't to keep us in or
you know, but there's a It was kind of a
light industrial business right behind where we lived. It was
different things over the years, most recently P and J
(28:28):
Industries over kind of Laski and Lewis. Anyhow, that backed
up to the back of.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
My imagination was like chickens in the back.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
No no, no, no, no, no, it wasn't that. It was
because and actually what it the real what that really
meant was that, you know, growing up, whenever the nerf
ball would go over the back fence or the whiffle ball,
you couldn't jump over the fence and going around you know,
having I mean, it would be a twenty minute, you know,
walk all the way out to Lewis and back and
(28:57):
maybe take your bite. So we got pretty good at
and it would take a couple of us kids pulling
the bottom of the fence.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Oh yeah, but you can't screw that up.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Well, and I wouldn't be doing that at my current size,
so you'd have to sneak in there well, but not
thin enough to not for that pull that move off.
So anyhow, that's what I mean. But anyhow, my point
is very you know, it's a very middle class, working
class and I don't know, I was not raised in
a family that golfed at Inverness, I guess, is my point.
(29:33):
I totally get it. But I'm I'm a caddie for
the people who they're golf at metaphor, that's right, not
someone who golfs at Internet so understood.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Well, that's awesome. It's exactly what we were looking for today,
to hear about who you are, because I think a
lot of times people will will have a character at
your perception of people that are in public service, even myself.
I'm in ministry, have been doing it for twenty years,
been in the pastor for ten years, and people put
you up on this pedestal, love you, hate you, and
(30:05):
they really don't know who you are. And I think
it's important, as you did today, to really express who
you are, where you come from, and why you do
what you do. And I think you've done that well today.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Well I've enjoyed the opportunity, but not because I have
any zest for talking about myself, but to the extent
it helps me talk about Toledo's and how it put
me in a position to help you know Toledo that
I enjoy that part. There's nothing quite like serving your town,
(30:41):
in your hometown. And I've been here my whole life.
This is I love Toledo. Toledo has and finally, I
think finally people around the country are starting to see
Toledo for what it is and for the potential it has.
It is a wonderful, mid sized Midwestern town with all
of the Midwestern nice you know that maybe you don't
(31:03):
get on the coast, but with the cost of living
that you also don't get on the coast. I mean it's,
you know, one eighth the cost of what it would
live in Chicago, and I think one tenth of what
it would uh cost to live in la and one
twelfth of New York. And you can you can enjoy
some world class amenities for a reasonable cost of living.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
I mean, back to the crossroads, We're not far from
all those places you just mentioned exactly.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
We have a one of the best zoos in the country,
if not the best zoo in the country. We have
and we probably have a top ten museum. And when
I say top ten, I'm stacking that up against anything
you'd see in New York and Chicago and whatnot. Our
park system is number one in the country, just one
that distinction. We don't have the Yankees. We got the
mud Hens and we love so we have all those things.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
The mud Hens are still the world renowned. Thank god
for mister.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Pacos and Jamie Farr.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
But think helped.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
But but yeah, to your point, though, you can enjoy
all that.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
But if you.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Really, you know, if you feel the need for you know,
something really big, well, then you're an hour from Detroit
and two hours from Cleveland, two and a half hours
from Columbus, four hours from Chicago.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
And I work on that airport. I used to fly
out of Toledo and it was very, very convenient. It
was I have to go to Detroit with a driver.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
There's there's a lot going on there in terms of
I mean, get into the way the airlines were deregulated.
You know, that had something to do with it. But
nonetheless it's I enjoyed being here today because it gave
me the chance to talk about Toledo. Yes, and there's
some good things going on, and I'm proud to be
a part of them.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Absolutely. Well, we thank you for joining us today for
the voices of legacy. I didn't really hit the last question.
I want to hit you with one more. What do
you think your legacy Isn't you kind of hit on
some of it? And what would you like for it
to be.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
I think my legacy might be that I was mayor
at a time when Toledo, you know, maybe turned the
corner and started making some progress. You know, when mayor
at a time when the rest of the world did
start noticing, you know, that Toledo's a pretty darn good
(33:17):
place to live. I mean it seemed like when I
was a kid grown up here, you know, not that
you can always put a lot of faith in these rankings,
but I hated the rankings that would come out every
once in a while with the age's you know what
are we now you know, lasting prevention of scurvy or
just something now what? But now you look at these
ranks all of a sudden, Okay, number one most affordable
(33:38):
city to live in or number two for you know,
to raise a family or whatever it is. Reeler dot
com said that Toledo is the hottest housing market in
the United States of America in twenty twenty four. Site
Selection magazine has this ranked in the you know, top
ten for seven years in a row for new business investment.
So I think, if there's a I can say, I
(34:00):
like like it to be, you know, being mayored during
this transitional time when people started seeing Toledo for the
potential it has and you know, making some of the
tougher long term decisions to get us ready for that
future growth, the regional water system that we created in
my first year as mayor, or finally fixing these roads
(34:23):
after you know, years of neglect, the work that's happening
on the on the Mammi River and the riverfront to
sort of reimagine that our skyline with the Glassity Metro
Park and things of that. And in terms of what
they might say about me, all I want them to
say is that he tried his best, because that's and
that is what I say. I you know, I don't
(34:47):
people come up to me, you know, a lot and say, hey,
you know you're doing a good job or doing this
and I and I say to him, sincerely, I say
I'm trying my best. Is that that is no matter what,
whether whether good or bad, I have worked my rear
end off. This is I have done the best I
can do for the city I love, and I just
(35:07):
that would be a nice epithet for folks to say
when I that I tried my best and sincerely did
work my hardest to make to you a great place.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Awesome, awesome, Well, thank you so much, honorable mere cats
cabbage for cats of cabbage. We'll get it right one day.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
Fortunately, the Capscavage part is correct. I'm not sure about
the honorable part. But you're here.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
You are mere. But we thank you for being in
the building today and sharing your life with us and
our listeners on the Voices of Legacy here on w
g T E. Remember that you're writing your own legacy
every day that you live. Be kind to someone today.
(36:01):
Thank you for listening to the Voices of a Legacy.
This is your friend, Pastor Carl Mitchell, the Third, your
host of this program. We want you to go to
WGTE dot org slash legacy to like, share, subscribe, and
hear all of our past podcast and our future podcast.
Be a friend and join with us from the Voices
(36:24):
of Legacy, where you're writing your own legacy every day
that you live. Have a blessing. WGTE voices around us.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Wgt supported in part by the American Rescue Plan Act
funds allocated by the City of Toledo and the Lucas
County Commissioners and administered by the Arts Commission
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