A dry-erase board hanging in Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson’s office is covered with issues key to her administration.

“Safe drinkable water,” “roads fixed,” “neighborhoods,” “new technologies,” and “youth commission” are among the dozens of words and phrases scribbled in marker on the one wall not covered in plaques, certificates, or other mementos. 

“That kept me focused on what I needed to do,” Mayor Hicks-Hudson, 66, said Wednesday as she reflected on her three years spent leading Toledo.

It’s the last week she’ll be working from the inviting, light-filled space she calls “the people’s office” on One Government Center’s 22nd floor. Lucas County Treasurer and fellow Democrat Wade Kapszukiewicz defeated her in the Nov. 7 election. He will be sworn in as the city’s new mayor Tuesday.

It was a contentious political race. Mayor Hicks-Hudson earned the official Democratic Party endorsement and ran on a platform of continuity, while Mr. Kapszukiewicz touted fresh ideas and ran as an unendorsed Democrat. In the end, more than 55 percent cast their ballot for Mr. Kapszukiewicz.

VIDEO: Paula Hicks-Hudson on her 3 years as mayor of Toledo

As 2017 comes to a close, the loss is sinking in for Mayor Hicks-Hudson as she packs up her office. She had big plans for her second term, but said she wouldn’t do anything differently with her first.

“We had a good run, and we did what we needed to do,” she said.

As the former Toledo city council president, Mayor Hicks-Hudson automatically replaced Mayor D. Michael Collins when he died following a cardiac arrest in February, 2015. The city’s first female black mayor, she won a special election in November, 2015, to serve the two years remaining in Mr. Collins' term.

She recalled her first months in office as a “heavy” and “really hard time,” and for a moment her eyes welled with tears while discussing Mayors John McHugh, Mr. Collins, and Jack Ford, who died within a few months of each other in 2015.

“She came into office in a manner in which was a first time here in Toledo with the sudden, tragic passing of former Mayor Collins,” Lucas County Democratic Chairman Joshua Hughes said. “I think she was sort of thrown to the fire a little bit.”

He said Mayor Hicks-Hudson had a lot to learn at first but ultimately proved to be a champion of Toledo’s continuing revitalization.

“I think overall she did a very nice job in leading the city,” Mr. Hughes said. “I think the momentum that she was able to maintain and build upon in downtown is something that she’ll be able to be proud of, and we as residents of northwest Ohio will be able to be proud of for years to come.”

Mayor Hicks-Hudson said she is proud of creating partnerships, launching Engage Toledo — a system that allows citizens to log complaints and requests to the city by phone or online — and moving the city in a positive direction.

She said before her time in office, complaints to the city fell “into a black hole,” and she has worked to open a two-way dialogue between the citizens and their government officials.

“There was no system, and so we put together a good system,” she said. “A 21st century city is a city that engages its citizens, it helps educate them on what you’re doing as a city, and it empowers them so that citizens know the information that they need to access services.”

Lisa Sobecki, a former Toledo Public Schools board member and fellow Democrat, said the Ms. Hicks-Hudson brought a big heart to the city and “worked for all communities.”

“She did a lot of work to resolve street issues, unemployment, revitalizing downtown,” she said. “She was a cheerleader for that as a city council person, as president of city council, and all the way through the mayor's office.”

Mayor Hicks-Hudson said she hasn’t decided yet what she’ll pursue next, and she plans to take the month of January off to consider her options. She said she is considering a run to represent House District 44 in Columbus. In that scenario, she would attempt to replace state Rep. Michael Ashford (D., Toledo), who applied to replace Mr. Kapszukiewicz as county treasurer.

Retirement is out of the question, she added.

“Whatever it is, it’s got to make a difference,” she said.

One thing she wishes she had more time to work on is building region-wide partnerships, and she challenged Mr. Kapszukiewicz to consider the regional impact when making decisions during his tenure.

“He has to look at it and take a balanced approach,” she said. “At the end of the day, if the city of Toledo is declining, then northwest Ohio declines.”

Mr. Kapszukiewicz described the outgoing mayor as “a wonderful person with a generous spirit and a kind heart” who still has much to contribute to Toledo. He acknowledged the 2017 campaign was intense, but said he hopes the two can remain friends.

“I believe she will be remembered very fondly for the role that she played in helping to heal the community after Mayor Collins’ death,” he said. “I think the public owes her a debt of gratitude for how she handled herself and how she led the city through those very difficult days.”

Her advice for her successor as he takes office: Breathe, and be true to yourself.

“It’s a whirlwind,” she said.

Contact Sarah Elms at selms@theblade.com, 419-724-6103, or on Twitter @BySarahElms.

First Published December 27, 2017, 9:36 p.m.