Toledo in transition: a new mayor in 2010

How will Mike Bell work with city council?

We're continuing to follow the transition, as Mike Bell prepares to take over Toledo city government. Let's look at the issue of the mayor-elect and city council.

It's no secret current Toledo mayor Carty Finkbeiner and the council had a very contentious last couple years. But with a new administration, comes new hope for cooperation.

There's been more than one instance where the mayor flashed temper at Toledo city council over the last couple years. Hot tempers on both sides made running city government very difficult.

But Mike Bell sees city council as a partner in government. And less than a day after his election, he extended his hand in a call to council president Joe McNamara.

Mayor-elect Bell talked about cooperation with council during his campaign. He sees his administration working best when it partners with city council. Bell said, "See, we're all elected to help people and it's not about us, it's not about our agendas, it's about being able to help citizens."

Now, there's a lot to be said about having a dynamic creative tension between an administration and city council. But over the last two years, there's been an awful lot of name-calling and nasty comments from both sides.

But with a change in administration comes a chance at a change in tone in government. Councilman Mike Collins, who's mixed it up with the mayor, says a government at war with itself cannot survive. He says, "It's taken away the community's confidence in government."

But aside from a new tone, Collins believes the mayor-elect needs to find a new direction. That may mean keep some Finkbeiner staffers who can fit in with a Bell administraion.

Collins says, "He's going to have to define who has the institutional knowledge but the vision to implement and be an agent of change."

Mayor-elect Bell will get a honeymoon, but it will be his style and tone that could dictate how long that honeymoon will last.

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