Today the Toledo Public Schools Board of Education reviewed and unanimously approved the district’s re-opening plan for the 2020-2021 school year. The plan includes a three-tier color category system developed to determine how district operations will occur related to the status of the COVID-19 pandemic:

​By Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

On the agenda for Toledo City Council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, July 28 at 4:00 p.m. are Resolutions 280-20 and 282-20 which would approve placing renewal of the city’s temporary 0.75 percent income tax, and a new temporary 0.25 percent income tax for roads and bridges, on the November 3 general election ballot. Both proposals would be for a period of four years beginning January 1, 2021, when the current 0.75 percent income tax is set to expire. According to the city, the 0.75 percent income tax would generate $56.8 million annually, and the 0.25 percent income tax would generate $18.9 million annually. While transfer for general fund purposes would continue to be allowed using capital improvement funding revenue generated from renewal of the 0.75 percent income tax, revenue generated from the new 0.25 percent income tax would be placed in a designated fund to be used solely for roads and bridges.

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce has worked with hundreds of small businesses since the crisis began. In our role as consultants working in alignment with the SBA, many businesses have received EIDL advance grants and the more traditional EIDL loan, and many more have received PPP loans. The EIDL grant did provide a lifeline for many very small businesses, but with a maximum of $10,000.00 per business. For larger businesses with higher expenses those funds were spent quickly. Many businesses received EIDL loans, and most owners seemed to have been saving those funds for cash flow shortfalls in the future, which is a very sound strategy. But not all businesses received the EIDL loan. PPP funds had to be spent predominantly on employee wages, so they had little impact on the overhead or inventory. 

​By Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

At its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 14 at 4:00 p.m., Toledo City Council is expected to consider Ordinance 250-20 which would assign new leadership for certain Council committees. Changes would include assigning council members Rob Ludeman as chair and Katie Moline as vice chair of the Finance & Debt Oversight Committee; Cecelia Adams as chair and Theresa Gadus as vice chair of the Neighborhoods, Community Development & Health Committee; and Chris Delaney as chair and Matt Cherry as vice chair of the Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform Committee. Also, Council President Cherry would become vice chair of the Regional Growth, Development & Small Business Enterprise Committee and Council Member Gadus would become vice chair of the Water Quality & Sustainability Committee.

In line with the goal of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Northwest Ohio Business Reboot Initiative to help businesses throughout the region successfully reopen and retool through the COVID-19 pandemic, the chamber has been celebrating reopenings with ribbon cuttings throughout the region. The effort, called the Business Reboot Ribbon Cutting Blitz, is comprised of five-minute ribbon cuttings and is the perfect way to commemorate your business’ return to work, the office or retooling initiative.

As a result of the regular council meeting being cancelled on June 30, a special meeting will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7. Toledo City Council is expected to vote on Resolution 212-20 which would adopt the Downtown Toledo Transportation Study. The study was conducted by a consultant team led by Mannik & Smith Group on behalf of the city to address future transportation needs of downtown. It recommends key roadways for improvement alternatives including designating:

July is here, and that means plenty of sunshine, socially distance outdoor fun and blue skies. The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce has a lot to celebrate, including plenty of business reopenings and Ribbon Cutting Blitz celebrations. But we also want to take the time to celebrate and welcome our newest members. Congratulations and thank you to the new Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce members who joined in June 2020!