Former Mayor Mike Bell, who was defeated in his re-election bid two years ago by the late Mayor D. Michael Collins, is considering making a run to regain the city’s top office.

Mr. Bell, a political independent and the city’s former fire chief, said he is “keeping an open mind on it.”

Mr. Bell said the city is most certainly facing a financial deficit for its next budget cycle and difficult decisions will need to be made.

“We are at a critical point where we can go north or south pretty quickly,” he said.

“I think there are some things that need to be done,” he said. “Politics and what you actually have to do sometimes clash. Some of the decisions you make are not going to be the most popular.”

Mr. Bell was referring to his support of measures considered to be anti-union, such as a declaration of exigent circumstances that summarily imposed concessions on city unions and a later support of Senate Bill 5, a controversial law that greatly limited public-sector union rights in Ohio. The law was ultimately overturned by referendum.

 Mr. Bell’s 2013 re-election campaign was hammered by negative advertising focused against his support of the anti-union measures and also his strategy of attracting Chinese investors to Toledo.

The election in November is required by city charter to complete the term of Mr. Collins who died Feb. 6 after suffering cardiac arrest. 

He was automatically succeeded by then-Council President Paula Hicks-Hudson, who has announced she will run to finish the term.

Also declared in the mayoral special election are Sandy Drabik Collins, the late mayor’s widow, and evangelist Opal Covey.

The election will have no primary and the field of candidates appears to be growing.

Former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, who was the mayor previous to Mayor Bell’s term and was Mr. Bell’s boss for years when he was city fire chief, said he too is thinking of running. 

He walked in last weekend’s Old West End parade and had supporters wearing his campaign T-shirt and chanting “It’s Carty Time!”

Toledo City Councilman Rob Ludeman said Tuesday he was also open to joining the race.

The deadline for candidates to file at least 750 voter signatures to be in the mayoral election is Sept. 4.

Contact Ignazio Messina at: imessina@theblade.com or 419-724-6171 or on Twitter @IgnazioMessina.

First Published June 11, 2015, 4:00 a.m.