Wednesdays with Wade

Commissioner of Urban Beautification Sara Stacy and Sustainability Manager Dana Reising join Mayor Wade to discuss three opportunities Toledo residents have this season to dispose of bulky, yard, and hazardous waste—for free! Clean Toledo Recycling Events — run April 26 through October 4 Block-by-Block Neighborhood Cleanups — run April 19 through October 11 Free Landfill Disposal Days — run May 31...

Commissioner of Grants and Government Affairs Simon Nyi joins Mayor Wade to talk about Toledo’s role in the Toledo Regional Alliance and why they’re in Washington, D.C. this week. The Alliance was created to strengthen our relationships with state and federal partners, speak with one voice on regional priorities, and send a clear message: Toledo is a great place to build—a life, a home, and a futu...

Jamie Tackacs joins Mayor Wade to discuss another of the City of Toledo's employee value – Transparency. Jamie is Toledo's CIP and Debt Manager. When we discuss Tax Payer dollars, Jamie's role is imperative in building and maintaining that trust with the public. Jamie discusses the public process that informs how we integrate resident needs into our budget and reporting. You can see th...

Director of Building Inspection & Code Compliance Jim Molnar, New Building Official Bob Kurtz, and Permit Technician Jason Hooks join Mayor Wade to discuss Toledo's potential for building and converting currently vacant space into a new opportunity. The Building Inspection division has implemented changes to expedite the permitting process and is working on building our relationship with d...

Former Chief of Toledo Police George Kral is coming back! After 32 years as a Toledo Police Officer, Kral is ready to step into this new role as the city's Safety Director. Kral is excited for the opportunity to protect the public in his new role including the overlap between Toledo's safety forces and the built environment.

Watch a very special edition of Wednesdays with Wade! Listen to Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz deliver his annual address live from the Tower on the Maumee.

Director of Economic Development Brandon Sehlhorst joins Mayor Wade to discuss Toledo's employee core value, efficiency. We define efficiency as "Prioritizing quality service while minimizing time, effort, and expense." Brandon's team is small and mighty. Their work has incredible return on investment for the city including creating jobs and securing investments. Brandon discusse...

Malcolm Cunningham Director of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) joins Mayor Wade to discuss the link between gun violence and the built environment in Toledo. Tune in to hear about this fascinating correlation, and how Toledo is working to make an impact on the community by coordinating the work in our Code Compliance Division with our Police Department to help...

Gayle Lake, Toledo Public Schools Community Partnerships and Outreach Director and Josh Davis, City of Toledo's Commissioner of School-Based Save Our Community join Mayor Wade to discuss how the City and school system are working together to interrupt violence before it escalates. Violence interruption is not new, but it is new to Toledo. Connecting those who are most at risk–to be either the...

Director of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement Malcolm Cunningham and Mayor Wade discuss a study conducted by the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform that does a deep dive into the cost of gun violence in Toledo. The study looks at the economic cost of gun violence in our city and how investing in preventative measures could save lives as well as tax dollars. Re...

Assistant Fire Chief John Kaminski and Community Service Officer Mohamed-Aly Nasser join Mayor Wade to discuss how respect is integral to their work in public service.

Mayor Wade sits down with Commissioner of Engineering Christy Soncrant, Vision Zero Coordinator Stephanie Bartlett, and Public Information Coordinator Tori Lane to discuss how we are completing more and more road construction projects, how we prioritize safety, and how we are working hard to get information into your inbox. Get updates!

The City of Toledo's Community Development Grants Manager Monica Brown joins Mayor Wade to discuss the next Five-Year Consolidated Plan for Toledo. The Five-Year Consolidated Plan determines how the city allocates federal funding from programs like the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) to meet the needs of our...

Marc Folk from the Arts Commission, President of City Council Carrie Hartman, and Toledo artist Mark Yappeuying join Mayor Wade to discuss how Toledo has selected its third ever city flag.  Through an engaging public process and the work of a Design Review Board, Toledo's 188th birthday celebration is highlighted by this exciting change.

City Prosecutor, Rebecca Facey and Assistant Prosecutor, Michelle Turvey join Mayor Wade to discuss Accountability in the fourth installment of this sub-series on the City of Toledo’s Employee Values . They discuss their work with the city and the prosecutor’s office culture - both of which compel these women and their team toward consistent accountability of themselves, each other, and the larger...

Mayor Wade's wife Sarah discuss their favorite old and new Toledo holiday traditions, and what they really want for Christmas this year. Toledo was recently recognized as a Top Winter Wonderland Getaway. Happy Holidays, Toledo!

Kid Mayor Lilly and Kid Councilmember Asher join Mayor Wade to discuss their experience this year learning about the city and preparing their suggestions for how to make Toledo even better. Lilly and Asher highlight their most exciting experiences seeing behind the scenes in Toledo's City operations, and offer some advice for future Kid Mayor and Councilmembers to get the most out of this program.

The City of Toledo’s Disability Manager, Valerie Fatica, joins Mayor Wade to discuss this year’s Snow Angels Program. We believe in making Toledo better together, and this program pairs Toledo seniors and people with disabilities with volunteers who are ready to shovel and plow their driveways and sidewalks. Valerie discusses how this program is growing here in Toledo, and her work with other muni...

Economic Development Director Brandon Sehlhorst and Toledo Design Collective Studio Director Ryan Bunch join Mayor Wade to discuss an upcoming $53 million investment to improve safety and connectivity on streets in the Junction, Englewood, and Uptown neighborhoods.  Supported by a $20 million RAISE grant from the US Department of Transportation, the city will make comprehensive upgrades to streets...

Director of Public Service Megan Robson and Urban Beautification's Charlie Moore join Mayor Wade to discuss what it means to have a sense of purpose in our work as city employees. Charlie's work in Urban Beautification means he is in Toledo Neighborhoods every day. He may run the street sweeper, but he is always finding ways to engage meaningfully with neighbors. Director Robson discusses the impo...

City Council President Carrie Hartman and Finance Director Melanie Campbell join Mayor Wade to continue the discussion on the City of Toledo's budget and how it works. Budget hearings began yesterday with the Committee of the Whole and will run through the middle of December. This episode asks, "How can we stretch our dollars further?"

Brandon Sehlhorst Director of Economic Development, Simon Nyi Grants Commissioner, and Councilman George Sarantou Finance, Debt, and Budget Oversight Committee Chair join Mayor Wade to discuss the 2025 budget that will be presented to City Council this week. This episode discusses Toledo's financial health, revenue, and the various ways the City brings in money beyond our income tax revenue.

Director of Public Service Megan Robson, Commissioner of Urban Beautification Sara Stacy, and Manager of Forestry Jody Prude join Mayor Wade to discuss all things trees in Toledo. Leaf collection began on Monday and we will continue that work for the next six weeks. Trees are an important part of maintaining our built environment and protecting our watershed.

The City of Toledo recently re-vamped our Employee Values . For the next 8 months, we will highlight one of these values with one of our city's 2,700 employees who I think exemplifies one of these core values. Commissioner of Sewer and Drainage Services Calvin Harris joins Mayor Wade to discuss the second City of Toledo Employee Value, Belonging. We define belonging at work as "feeling valued thro...

Engage Toledo Supervisor Kaleena Harris and 2024 Ambassador Academy attendee JaMezz McKinney join Mayor Wade to discuss what it is like to attend the Ambassador Academy. Toledo's Ambassador Academy provides residents with the opportunity to interact with our city's departments and get an insider's look. Learn more about it at toledo.oh.gov/ambassador