Toledo City Council to vote on 2020 budget adjustments

​At its regular meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 15, Toledo City Council will likely vote on Ordinance 496-20 which would approve adjustments within the 2020 approved budget. Changes would increase the estimate for general fund revenues by $20,043,238. Notable individual revenue adjustments include increases of $6.4 million from income tax collections and $16.8 million from excess Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation rebates, and a decrease of $4 million from the traffic photo enforcement program and court fines. Changes would also increase the estimate for general fund expenditures by $965,395. The ordinance would also make a number of other city fund adjustments.

Council is also expected to vote on the following:
 

• Ordinance 294-20 which would establish the right of a tenant to avoid eviction by paying all past due rent and late fees prior to an eviction action being filed by their landlord. It would also establish the right of a tenant to avoid eviction by paying all past due rent, late fees and court costs following an eviction action but prior to a judgement being issued. In addition, it would require a landlord to provide the tenant with a signed receipt for security deposits and rent payment not made by personal check. 
• Ordinance 472-20 which would approve $1,430,000 to DLZ Ohio Inc. for overseeing the performance contract with Johnson Controls, Inc. for implementation of the city’s automatic water metering and leak detection program. The performance contract with Johnson Controls was recently approved by city council through a previous ordinance. 
• Four ordinances providing for the 2021 assessed services program: Ordinances 482-20, 483-20, 484-20, and 485-20 would authorize the assessment of estimated costs for various city services including $23,236,270 for sweeping, cleaning and snow removal for streets and alleys; $3,647,867 for street lighting outside of downtown; $239,651 for street lighting within downtown; and $5,152,352 for tree maintenance. 
• Ordinance 490-20 which would prohibit a landlord in the city from refusing to accept payments from rental assistance programs including the Section 8 housing choice voucher. The ordinance also specifies that an aggrieved person can seek civil action up to two years after the occurrence of a discriminatory housing practice. The ordinance has been in committee since December 2018. 
• Ordinance 492-20 which would approve $200,000 to the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo for a grant program for artists and small arts organizations being impacted by COVID-19. The amount would supplement $250,000 previously approved for the program by the Lucas County Commissioners. Individual artists would be eligible for grants of $1,000 or $2,500, and smaller arts organizations would be eligible for grants of $2,500, $5,000 or $10,000. The program would be launched December 16 with grant funds distributed by the end of January 2021. 
• Ordinance 493-20 which would approve accepting $5.7 million from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development for the city’s lead-safe home program. According to the city, the funding will help to remediate lead paint in 175 to 200 properties in the city.

 
The public may watch the regular council meeting online by visiting https://toledo.legistar.com and scrolling down to the meeting and clicking on “in progress”.