Label
Council Members Komives and Melden
Title
Resolution urging the United States Congress to explore and implement a carbon fee and dividend; and declaring an emergency.
Summary
WHEREAS, the Toledo City Council exists to enhance the health, safety, and quality of life for all residents as determined by law and community interests; and
WHEREAS, the global atmospheric concentration of CO2 in the past sixty years reveals changes that would normally take thousands of years are now happening within decades; and
WHEREAS, climate change poses a serious threat to the City of Toledo and residents in terms of the economy, public health, and the environment; and
WHEREAS, the disruption of the region’s environmental, social, and economic systems due to climate change will increase the vulnerability of Toledo’s residents; and
WHEREAS, carbon is a primary element in emissions impacting public health and altering our climate, and non-renewable fossil fuels are the leading source of carbon emissions so reducing their use is necessary to slow and eventually halt the pollution of our air and the deadly changing of our climate; and
WHEREAS, a carbon fee applied at the points of carbon emissions production and fossil fuels importation will reduce the profitability and desirability of these practices; and
WHEREAS, a “carbon fee and dividend” approach is revenue-neutral, can be implemented without extensive governmental regulatory controls, and applies equally to every sector of the economy regardless of size; and
WHEREAS, all levels of government have the responsibility to act swiftly and meaningfully on the issue of climate change; NOW, THEREFORE,
Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Toledo:
SECTION 1. That the Toledo City Council strongly urges U.S. Congress to take prompt and effective measures to rapidly address climate change by promoting and encouraging a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and explore a Carbon Fee and Dividend as sound, effective policy.
SECTION 2. That it is ordered and directed that, once adopted, the Clerk of Council shall send a copy of this Resolution to all representatives of Congress (House and Senate) that represent the citizens of Toledo.
SECTION 3. That this Council finds and determines that all formal actions of the Council concerning and relating to the adoption of this resolution were taken in an open meeting of this Council and that all deliberations of this Council that resulted in those formal actions were in meeting open to the public in compliance with the law.
SECTION 4. That this Resolution is declared to be an emergency measure and shall be in force and effect from and after its passage. The reason for the emergency lies in the fact that the same is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety and property, and for the further reason that immediate action is necessary in order to promptly convey the position of Toledo City Council to the Congressional representatives for consideration.
Vote on emergency clause: yeas 12, nays 0.
Adopted: February 25, 2020: yeas 12, nays 0.
Attest:
Gerald E. Dendinger Matt Cherry
Clerk of Council President of Council
Approved: March 2, 2020
Wade Kapszukiewicz
Mayor