Among the many items brought before Toledo City Council on Nov. 16, two illustrated the extreme range of financial decisions that body routinely faces.

On the lighter, less urgent side, a Toledo Symphony Orchestra representative asked Council for $10,000 toward its 2011 trip to New York City’s Carnegie Hall. The symphony has reportedly raised $220,000 of the $250,000 it needs to make the trip. There is no questioning the quality, impact and importance of the symphony, but there is no place for public money in such an endeavor. With nearly six months before the May performance, there must be other ways for this respected organization to bridge its funding gap than to ask for taxpayer money. Councilman D. Michael Collins’ suggestion that council not only provide the asked-for $10,000 but the whole $30,000 may have been sarcasm, but it was met with such enthusiasm there would be no surprise if council approved the jab, at our expense.

Light years away from such relative luxuries, Director of Public Utilities Tom Crothers made a pitch for some significant increases in water and sewer rates.

During a meeting with the Toledo Free Press editorial board Nov. 18, Crothers presented two dozen slides that carefully outlined the history and future of the water and sewer system. Knowing that some of the system dates back to the Civil War era, it is amazing that as much of the 1,100 miles of line is in as good a shape as it is.

Crothers is extremely careful to not undermine confidence in the water system, the region’s true lifeblood, but he does not hesitate to put the system’s needs in context with the national crisis of ignored infrastructure of bridges, utility lines and water and sewer pipes.

Council is faced with a double whammy: The rate increases are going to have a major impact on every taxpayer in the city (and those in surrounding areas who buy water from Toledo), but there is really no option to deny the request. If the system isn’t maintained and repaired as needed, there could be catastrophic consequences.

I hope Toledoans attend the first public hearing on this matter, planned for 4 p.m. Nov. 22 in Council chambers. Crothers will make the same presentation to the public he previewed for us and will be open to the same questions.

Our water and sewer lines are out of sight and out of mind, relics our great-grandparents left for us to use. But ignoring them carries a price, and Council will have to approve the rate increases to keep the systems invisible. It will hurt, as any major investment does, but the integrity and viability of the water system cannot be anything close to compromised.

So, Council has to make choices about luxuries and choices about necessities. In these two cases, the choices are not quick and easy, but the appropriate outcomes are clear.

Council does not want to find itself in the position of literally funding someone to fiddle (or play violin) while the city’s water network burns.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: City of Toledo, Publisher's Statement, Tom Crothers

This entry was posted on Friday, November 19th, 2010 at 12:00 am and is filed under Opinion, Publisher's Statement.
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