Label
Council Member Gadus
Agenda Review
Shumaker Advisors
12/11/24
Title
From: Council Member Gadus Response Requested: ASAP
How long have we used their consulting services?
Please list all of their successes since the start of their contract with the city
Body
Referral Response:
Shumaker Advisors has provided the City of Toledo with government affairs services since June 2014. Since that time, the cost of their services has not increased.
2015: The State legislature was going to repeal the JEDZ law which would have had a negative effect on Toledo. SA stalled the bill for a month and rewrote the bill to create Municipal Utility Districts which preserved the parts of the JEDZ law that Toledo was using. In the sponsors floor speech, he mentioned Toledo’s compromise and that the MUD’s were named for Toledo Mud Hens.
Home Rule issues
Red Light Cameras were under attack, and SA successfully held off the prohibition against their use until the CEO of RedFlex admitted bribing local officials in Ohio. Immediately after the loss, SA successfully proved that no officials in Toledo were offered or accepted any bribes. This immediate action satisfied potential investigators and no further investigation was needed.
Lead Paint
Toledo’s lead paint ordinance came under attack in a state budget amendment. The change would have eviscerated the work of Toledo City Council. After meetings in the state Senate, in Governor Kasich’s office and an editorial push, the change was pulled from the budget and has never resurfaced. Toledo’s ordinance remained in tact.
Short Term Rentals
Air BNB has attempted multiple times to pass a law that would exempt their business model from Home Rule. As recently as this week, SA has kept the proposal at bay, and continues to build a coalition of local government trade associations who will engage in more robust opposition in the future.
Water Quality
SA has facilitated several contacts with regard to water quality including EPA and ODNR. When the legislature was debating Ag runoff, SA hosted the entire House Agriculture Committee for a hearing in Toledo that included tours of the water treatment plants and the rainwater retention facility as well as the dredge material holding facility. As a result, Toledo was held harmless.
Facilitating Meetings
SA has hosted several meetings with Toledo officials over the years including Governors and other statewide office holders, cabinet members, Speakers, Senate Presidents and rank and file legislators. Interactions have included direct meetings in city hall as well as site visits to view projects or demonstrations to better understand budget requests.
Taxes
SA successfully amended the local income tax rewrite to hold Toledo and other jurisdictions (Oregon) in Lucas County harmless when the legislature changed laws regarding local income taxes.
Coalitions
SA represents Toledo in broader coalitions of large cities that regularly join forces to oppose and support legislation of common interest including Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron, Canton and Youngstown among others.
Capitol and OTSIF projects
Successes: TRFD $1.6 million for fire house repairs
Ottawa Park $950,000 for public restrooms
Toledo Innovation Center $3 million
Other requests included road repairs on Miami Street, Summit Street and Wright Avenue. These projects were not funded and will be addressed in 2025 as part of an ODOT conversation.
Major Bills:
HB 296-Police and Fire Pensions. This bill would cost the city between $4 and $5 million dollars per year. Toledo alontg with other cities are continuing to oppose the bill with key votes coming this week and next. Regardless of the outcome the issue is likely to resurface in 2025 as a potential stand-alone bill or as a budget amendment.
Shumaker Advisors have been in contact with each of the NW Ohio delegation members to make clear that the administrations position is two-fold. They respect the police and fire forces, but simply requiring millions of dollars per year be added to the pensions is not feasible for the finite resources of cities. Key relationships on this issue include Josh Williams, who will be on the House leadership team next year, and Senator Hicks Hudson who sits on the Ohio Retirement Study Council (ORSC). ORSC is ppoised to vote Thursday to support staff recommendations which would effectively push this debate into next year. If that happens, then there is a likelihood that additional funding sources would be discussed to offset the costs to the cities. If cities are forced to pay the full freight of the proposal, it is likely that the they will be forced to hire fewer safety services in an effort to make pension payments.
HB 280-Lead Testing. This bill is targeted at the way Cleveland currently approaches lead testing for rental properties, which some legislators finds to be needlessly bureaucratic. The bill was written in a way that would effect Toledo. Shumaker Advisors engaged in a series of meetings with the Toledo Law Director and staff as well as proponents, and offered a draft amendment that would simply exempt Toledo. The proposal was embraced by bill supporters, but was nt supported by the bill sponsor. The amendment caused a rift between supporters and the sponsor, so no other action was taken on the bill. The bill is expected to die this year, but be re-introduced next GA.
While these 2 bills were active this year, there are over 40 other introduced measures that could have an impact on Toledo City Government if enacted. Shumaker Advisors continues to track these measures and work with the law department and municipal trade associations to spot check potential issues. These bills include measures that could effect taxes, alcohol and marijuana enforcement, water quality, home rule, law enforcement, economic development tools, housing and public utilities.
We currently have 4 full time professional lobbyists working on behalf of Toledo, each with a specific issue area to allow for maximum coverage.
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Andrew W. Herf |
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