Wednesdays with Wade

Council Member Nick Komives, one of the co-sponsors of the 1% for the Environment Fund joins Mayor Wade to talk about this Friday's exciting opportunity for Toledo residents to join a tour of several projects around the city that demonstrate our commitment to building a more sustainable environment. This FREE event is a collaboration between the City of Toledo and Power a Clean Future Ohio .

Department of Public Utilities Director Doug Stephens and Commissioner of Utilities Administration Cindy Geronimo join Mayor Wade to talk about our new customer service portal for water service. The new customer service portal integrates the technology from our recently installed Smart Meters and offers residents the opportunity to see their water usage and bill from the convenience of an app on t...

Director of Parks and Youth Services, Joe Fausnaugh, and Commissioner of Youth Services, David Bush, join Mayor Wade to talk about how city parks improve life outcomes for residents. Our Parks and Youth Services Department has been working hard to develop inviting community spaces in our City parks and youth programs to give our youngest Toledoans something new to do. Last week, we announced a $1....

The City of Toledo has recently reaffirmed our list of Values that guide us in our role as public service professionals focusing on people-centered relationships. For the next 8 months, we will be rolling out these values with the employees who best exemplify what they're all about. We begin with Todd Saums Commissioner of Water Distribution and Keith McCarver General Foreman join Mayor Wade t...

Director of Economic Development Brandon Sehlhorst joins Mayor Wade to discuss the major turnaround the City has seen is such a short period of time. The Four Corners downtown (Madison and Huron) are the oldest buildings in the city. We are working to convert these buildings into 360 apartments with a recent big win. Brandon discusses "the new downtown" which sees a conceptual shift in h...

We have some incredible infrastructure projects (with some historic hundreds of millions of dollars in Federal funding) coming up. In an effort to help Toledo businesses make some competitive bids on these projects, we are hosting a Business and Supplier Empowerment Summit at the Toledo-Lucas County Library Main Branch McMaster Center on Thursday September 19 from 1 - 4 p.m. Tiffany Whitman Direct...

Dan Morey's job is to make sure that employers are meeting their obligations when it comes to paying the appropriate wages and benefits to their employees. Since he began this work in April 2024, the City has been able to bring in $130k in tax revenue through bringing businesses into compliance. Read more on our website .

Brysen Davis and Rev. Meribah Mansfield join Mayor Wade to discuss the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement's newly released comprehensive safety plan, Peace in Motion: Toledo's Path to Community Safety . The Community Action Table has met monthly for the last year to evaluate current solutions, gaps in care, and to make recommendations that will influence the community...

Director of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), Malcolm Cunningham, joins Mayor Wade to talk about the work he's been doing in the community for the last year. The Five-Year Comprehensive Safety Plan, Peace in Motion: Toledo's Path to Community Safety , is ready for public review and comments. You can find it at toledo.oh.gov/peace .

The City of Toledo's Ambassador Academy gives residents the opportunity to learn about their local government with local leaders. Commissioner of Customer Service Jenny Jacqua joins Mayor Wade this week to talk about the 8 week course for residents interested in learning more and doing more in the City. Applications are open until 11:59 August 18. Learn more on the website at toledo.oh.gov/amb...

Councilwoman Cerssandra McPherson and President of the Great Lakes Jazz Society, Hugh Ross, join Mayor Wade to talk about the FREE and fabulous Glass City Jazz Fest. There are events all week. You can still catch one before the main event on Saturday at Glass City Metropark. See the schedule on the City's website here . If you're interested in learning more about Toledo's Jazz history,...

Whitney Rofkar and Mayor Wade talk the history of Jeep and Jeep Fest. The inaugural Jeep Fest in 2016 brought 40,000 people to Toledo to celebrate our beloved boxy, rock crawling, first ever off road vehicle invented right here in Toledo. Get more information about this weekend's events at toledojeepfest.com

Dana Reising and Karen Granata join Mayor Wade to discuss Ozone Action Season. This week we learn a bit about what ozone is, why it matters, and how to minimize our exposure to harmful high levels of ozone. Want weekly ozone predictions? Send a request to env.information@toledo.oh.gov If you're looking for a way to help, consider switching your lawn mower from gas to electric. If you do, the C...

Parks and Youth Services Outreach and Special Events Manager, Jacqueline Johnson, joins Mayor Wade to discuss this year's Let's Get Moving program. Toledoans can join the group that meets at a local park every other week to walk the trails. Get more information and register at toledo.oh.gov/get-moving .

Deputy Director of Public Utilities, Patekka Bannister and Commissioner of Plant Operations, Andy McClure join Mayor Wade to talk about the recent release of the 2023 Water Quality Report , and how the City is working to keep the water coming in and going out clean and safe for you and Lake Erie.

Happy Fourth of July! City offices are closed for the holiday, but Engage Toledo is always available to take your calls. Commissioner of Customer Service, Jenny Jacqua and Engage Toledo Supervisor, Kalena Harris join Mayor Wade to talk about the history of Engage Toledo, what they do, and how the customer service process works when a resident calls 419-936-2020.

Director/Chief Equity Officer of Toledo's department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Tiffany Whitman, joins Mayor Wade to discuss the rich history of Juneteenth and Toledo's work to make the city a livable, welcoming, and inclusive city.

Mayor Wade sits down with Director of Economic Development, Brandon Sehlhorst and Manager of Development, Cody Brown to talk all things building in the City. From Permit Planner to pre-development meetings, Toledo has resources for residents and business owners, small and large projects. Tune in to learn all about development happening in Toledo.

We are getting closer to the launch of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) Five Year Comprehensive Plan and the second round of the Toledo Neighborhood Capacity Building Institute. Mayor Wade invites Malcolm Cunningham, Director of MONSE and LuCynthia Jones, Neighborhoods Navigator, to discuss how their work helps fill the gaps for Toledo grassroots organizations o...

Mayor Wade sits with the City of Toledo's Lead Coordinator, Monica Smith and Toledo/Lucas County Health Department's Lead Case Manager, Gloria Smith to discuss the dangers of lead and what you can do about it.

Director of Housing and Community Development , Rosalyn Clemens and community partner Julia Lee join Mayor Wade to talk all things home buying and gearing up for our first ever home ownership fair, "Finding Your Way Home: Unlock the Door to Homeownership" on June 22.

Director of Code Compliance , Jim Molnar and President and CEO of the Lucas County Land Bank , David Mann join Mayor Wade to discuss how they work together toward neighborhood revitalization , handling vacant properties, and putting them back into good use.

Mayor Wade invites Commissioner of Youth Services, David Bush and Tisha Mays of Amaysing Kids to talk all things summer youth programming. There are more than 70 free programs ready for kids to join. The Summer Showcase kicks it all off. Join us May 18 at Ottawa Park from 11:00-2:00! Get the details here.

Forward Toledo is a comprehensive land-use plan that will guide planning in Toledo for the next 10-20 years. It is our community's collective statement on who we want to be and how we would like to grow as a city. Staff and residents have been working on this plan since 2020, and the final draft is ready for review before it goes to City Council. Tom Gibbons, Director, and Ryne Sundvold and Jo...

Each year Toledo's Department of Housing and Community Development disperses Federal grant money, known as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to qualified local applicants. Monica Brown discusses the logistics of the program, the process and available funds, and we are delighted to share how these grants work to make an impact on Toledo residents. Harvey Savage runs the MLK Kitchen f...