Ohio Supreme Court blocks mayoral recall
Written by Caitlin McGlade | | news@toledofreepress.comToledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner announced July 27 that the Ohio Supreme Court ruled to prevent a recall effort from appearing on the ballot on Nov. 3.
According to the court document State ex rel. Finkbeiner v. Lucas Cty. Bd. of Elections, the petition did not include a legal clause stating that election falsification is a felony of the fifth-degree.
“For nearly 12 years I have given my heart and soul to a city called Toledo,” Finkbeiner said at a 3:30 p.m. press conference.
Finkbeiner filed a protest to the Lucas County Board of Election’s decision to allow Take Back Toledo Leadership to include a ballot issue that would recall him as mayor. When the Board of Elections denied it, the case appeared before the Ohio Supreme Court.
Finkbeiner cited the failure to include the clause and claimed some 2,500 petition signatures were invalid as reasons to repeal the decision, according to the court document.
The opposing party, which includes Schlachter, has 10 days to file a motion for reconsideration, said Bret Crow, the Supreme Court of Ohio public information officer.
“I’m not perfect, but Toledo has a bright future,” Finkbeiner said. “And non-Toledoans Tom Schlachter, Andy Stuart, Brian Schwartz, [Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief] Michael Miller and others should move into Toledo or invest in Toledo if they wish to play a leadership role in Toledo.”
Miller, who lived in Toledo for 35 years, is a graduate of Libbey High School and the University of Toledo but now lives in Tecumseh, Mich., said that while he has never been a member of the Take Back Toledo effort, he “strongly supported” the group’s efforts in his weekly column.
“As Finkbeiner’s legacy has collapsed around him and buried a large number of Toledoans under the debris of failed policy, broken relationships with the suburbs and public relations disasters that brought Toledo international shame, it has been gratifying to see thousands of Toledoans support Take Back Toledo,” Miller said. “It is another in a long list of hypocrisies that Finkbeiner scolds critics who work but do not live in Toledo, while he all but bows before a Blade owner who lives as far away as Pittsburgh.”
If FINKENSTEIN, gave Toledo his heart and soul ( for 12 torturous years)and all we got was 1) people fleeing,2) businesses following,3)crumbling/neglected infrastructure, 4) in perpetuity “in crisis schools”,5)highest income taxes in the state, 6) highest electric rates in the state,8)union reps. disguised as ‘citizen reps’9)National embarrassments daily,10) International embarrassments weekly,11) trips to nowhere all on the tax payers dime, etc ad nauseum,and this is the BEST you could do ??! Please, do not try harder !!!! Well FINKELDINK, I would definitely do one of two things! FIRST-move as far away as physically possible ,for Toledo’s good and for your well being. SECOND-NEVER EVER, teach ANYTHING at ANY institution of learning due to you being as deranged, demented,disgusting and delusional as any DEMONRAT, ( all D’s, notice?) who has ever lived !!
This comment was posted on July 28th, 2009 at 8:38 amRight on! We need a new mayor. Carty’s been the laughing stock of the area for years. Toledo’s image needs a major overhaul, and voting for a new mayor is a big step towards that effort.
This comment was posted on July 29th, 2009 at 6:58 am““I’m not perfect…”
Had this been the mantra from day one, instead of the go it alone and do it my way or no way, who knows where the city would be now.
A new administration, a hopefully, new way of thinking, a new way of responding, new ideas, just new, would be a step forward.
This comment was posted on July 30th, 2009 at 9:10 pm