City of Toledo

?? Join Us for the MLK Day Virtual Celebration! ?? Each year, the City of Toledo, the Human Relations Commission, and the University of Toledo come together to bring our community a vibrant Martin Luther King Jr. Day Virtual Celebration filled with guest speakers, musical and artistic performances, and a keynote speaker. For 2025, we are excited to highlight the incredible talents of Toledo’s youth, teens, and adults! We invite you to share your voice and reflect on how Dr. King Jr.'s principles of nonviolence, justice, love, faith, courage, service, forgiveness, and hope shape your lives and impact our local community. ? Submission Details: Submissions will be accepted now until Friday, November 15th. Submit a 30-second video of yourself delivering your speech, along with the full text of your piece. If you prefer not to be on camera, consider teaming up with a friend to present your message! For more information and to submit your speech visit: https://ow.ly/QZoU50TM40U

Last week, our Ambassador Academy participants had an exciting visit to our Transportation team. They learned about the departments responsibilities, such as traffic management, road and bridge maintenance, and engineering and construction. There were plenty of questions about road repairs and roundabouts, which our engineers and division leadership addressed. The Ambassadors also learned about Vision Zero, the City's initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries while promoting safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all road users. The highlight? A tour of the facility, where everyone marveled at the impressive size of street signs and street lights. It's always inspiring to see the behind-the-scenes work that keeps our City moving!

Toledo City Council and the Board of Lucas County Commissioners have approved plans to build a materials recovery facility (MRF) at the former South & Western Landfill site in Toledo. This MRF will allow us to recycle more efficiently and economically by keeping the process local. Right now, the recycling materials collected at the curb or drop-off locations are sent 90 miles away to Oberlin for sorting. With a local, single-stream MRF, we can significantly reduce our county-wide carbon footprint. Learn more about these exciting plans here: https://ow.ly/t3Pw50TK2VI

Did you know some of our summer programs also serve kids after school? We have 35 after-school programs around Toledo, offered by various partners like TEAM Sports, which focuses on providing athletic programs for elementary students. In a recent interview, Youth Services Commissioner David Bush and TEAM’s Director of Development, Shuman Majumder, shared insights on how these programs continue to keep kids active, engaged, and thriving during the school year. Learn more about the impact of our after-school programs and how they’re helping to shape the future of our youth! https://ow.ly/XXUf50TK2GA

This week has been incredibly impactful, and it’s all thanks to our amazing City of Toledo employees! ?? To celebrate #CustomerServiceWeek, our employees went above and beyond to serve the community in meaningful ways: ?? On Monday, a group served lunch at Cherry Street Mission Ministries. ?? On Tuesday, we partnered with the Red Cross of Northwest Ohio for an employee blood drive and collected donations for Goodwill of Northwest Ohio. ?? Wednesday was all about food—harvesting produce from a local garden that supplies fresh ingredients to the SAME Café at the Toledo Main Library. Throughout the week, we’ve also had park cleanups, meal packing, and more gardening efforts. ?? Thank you to all our City of Toledo employees for your dedication to making our community a better place! ??

Reducing violent crime in our city is one of Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz's top priorities, and we're proud to share that, through the third quarter, violent crime is down compared to last year. We've seen a 16% reduction in homicides and fewer shootings, making Toledo a safer place to live. But this isn't just about increasing the number of police officers. Yes, we’ve grown our police force, allowing for more community policing—but we’re also focusing on cleaning up blight, stabilizing housing, and creating enriching programs for our kids to keep them engaged and off the streets. From urban gardening to youth podcasts, we’re committed to giving our children positive, constructive opportunities. This progress didn’t happen overnight—it took discipline, collaboration, and a comprehensive approach. Together, we’re making Toledo stronger and safer. Read more about how we’re tackling crime from multiple angles and what’s driving this change: https://ow.ly/yLyG50TJ9FA

Our vision for the PRO Housing Grant is clear: better, more affordable homes, built faster and in the areas that need them most. We plan to implement zoning updates that will remove unnecessary restrictions, streamline development, and allow builders to use housing design templates—pre-approved blueprints that cut costs and speed up construction. These changes will directly impact the development of affordable housing across Toledo, particularly in areas where appraisal gap financing is needed to make projects financially feasible. We need your feedback to make this a reality, comment on our plan by Friday, October 11th. Read the draft application and and leave comments here: https://ow.ly/X8pu50TCFvp

??Spotlight: Keith McCarver – Embodying the Service Mindset ?? For nearly 25 years, Keith McCarver has been a dedicated leader in Toledo’s Water Distribution Department. Growing up on Pinewood Ave and graduating from Macomber High School, Keith’s ties to our community run deep. His passion for helping others and restoring water service is truly inspiring. As Todd Saums, Commissioner of Water Distribution, said: "Keith is a natural leader and embodies the service mindset we strive for in our department. His dedication to helping residents and restoring water service is exemplary." Keith’s journey from repairman to foreman shows his commitment to the community, where he leads with compassion and care. Whether it’s handling burst pipes or listening to customer concerns, Keith goes above and beyond to ensure residents feel heard and respected. Read more about Keith’s service here: https://ow.ly/kRmL50THbHP

One of Toledo’s biggest challenges when it comes to affordable housing is our outdated zoning code, which slows down the development process and makes it harder to build in certain neighborhoods. But with the help of the PRO Housing Grant, we’re ready to change that! Here’s how: 1?? Zoning updates will allow for easier, faster development in areas that need affordable housing the most. 2?? Appraisal gap financing will help bridge the financial gap that developers face when building in low-property-value neighborhoods, ensuring that we can bring new homes to life across Toledo. Don’t miss your chance to provide input! Public comment is open from September 27 to October 11, read the Draft Document and share your feedback: https://ow.ly/XUHH50TEl89

??? Have You Ever Considered Playing Pickleball Downtown? ???? As part of Park(ing) Day, our Parks and Youth Services team set up an exciting exhibit to reimagine how we can use parking spaces beyond just parking cars. From playing pickleball to gardening, dancing, and outdoor dining, the exhibits this year showcased creative ways to utilize our downtown space! Learn more about Park(ing) Day: https://ow.ly/ZEwF50TCz3w