Article published October 30, 2009
Bell hits Wilkowski claims
Candidates dispute role in economic development
Independent candidate Mike Bell is flanked by Louis Bauer, Jr., former Rossford mayor, at left, and Harry Barlos, former Maumee mayor. Both are supporting Mr. Bell for Toledo mayor.
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THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON
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By TOM TROY
BLADE POLITICS WRITER
With the election just five days away, independent candidate Mike Bell yesterday accused Democratic opponent Keith Wilkowski of exaggerating his role in economic development deals of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
"Keith Wilkowski claims he put together economic development deals creating thousands of private sector jobs. He keeps pushing his economic development credentials. The facts show the opposite," Mr. Bell said.
And in a new television ad, Mr. Bell reprises Mr. Wilkowski's vote for a county sales tax increase that was later repealed.
Mr. Wilkowski said his opponent was lashing out in desperation because he's losing the election.
Mr. Wilkowski, meanwhile, said he has dumped any mention of Mr. Bell from his TV commercials, as he takes to the high road.
"We have only ads that are wholly and completely positive talking about the issues," Mr. Wilkowski said.That hasn't stopped the Ohio Democratic Party from flooding the city with glossy mailings labeling Mr. Bell as "Tax Hike Mike" over Mr. Bell's stated willingness to consider a tax increase if it had public backing. Mr. Wilkowski, as a county commissioner in 1989, voted to raise the county sales tax from 1 percent to 1.5 percent. The tax hike was repealed by voter initiative the following year.
Yesterday, Mr. Bell was flanked at a news conference by Louis Bauer, Jr., and Harry Barlos, former mayors of Rossford and Maumee, respectively, to take on Mr. Wilkowski's claims that have been a staple of his campaign speeches for months.
"Toledo residents deserve to have a mayor who is straightforward with them," Mr. Bell said.
The three said Mr. Wilkowski has portrayed himself incorrectly as an architect of deals that led to the Burlington Air Express - now BAX Global - cargo hub at Toledo Express Airport and tax-sharing deals with Maumee and Rossford.
Mr. Wilkowski touts his experience in economic development as exactly what Toledo needs in its present situation. He tells campaign audiences he "picked up the phone" and called Ben Marsh, then law director for Maumee, to launch a joint economic development zone, in 1990.
He also touts his role as a county commissioner in the 1989 Burlington deal and the 1991 joint economic development zone with Rossford.
Mr. Barlos said the outreach to Maumee only came after Toledo failed in an effort to cut Maumee out of a deal Toledo was trying to set with Monclova Township.
"Maumee and Monclova, after a number of years of litigation basically said let's sit down with the city of Toledo and work in cooperation. Now there are three JEDZs in that area of the county. It was not Keith Wilkowski that was the orchestrator and architect of that JEDZ," Mr. Barlos said.
Mr. Marsh, reached last night, said no one can claim to be the architect, but Mr. Wilkowski's role was significant. He recalled a lengthy series of negotiations before the deal was struck.
"I wouldn't say he invented it but he had a lot to do with it," Mr. Marsh said.
Mr. Wilkowski said Mr. Barlos' involvement is politically motivated because Mr. Wilkowski supported Pete Gerken when he challenged and defeated Mr. Barlos for county commissioner in 2004.
The agreement with Rossford to share a 2.25 percent income tax from the Crossroads of America development near Interstate 75 and the Ohio Turnpike with Toledo was initiated by Rossford, Mr. Bauer said.
"He was never in any meeting that I was in," Mr. Bauer said. He said the role of the law directors was to put together the legal documents as directed by the elected officials.
The Bell campaign also contested Mr. Wilkowski's right to claim leadership in bringing Burlington Air Express to Toledo Express Airport.
Gary Failor, a former president of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, said yesterday that the multimillion-dollar package to attract Burlington to the airport was arranged by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, the state of Ohio, and the Federal Aviation Administration, with comparatively bit parts played by the city of Toledo and Lucas County.
The county commissioners in March, 1989, less than three months after Mr. Wilkowski joined the board, approved a community reinvestment area for the airport that allowed Burlington to redirect its property taxes to pay for improvements. Mr. Wilkowski said he sponsored the resolution that created that tax incentive zone.
Mr. Wilkowski has described that as "creative financing" that helped move the Burlington deal forward.
"What I've always said is I was a county commissioner when we helped bring Burlington and 1,000 good jobs to the airport," Mr. Wilkowski said.
He said he never claimed to be the "architect" of the Rossford deal. He has used that word to describe his role in the Maumee deal.
Contact Tom Troy at:
tomtroy@theblade.com
or 419-724-6058.
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