Talks on the Toledo Area Water Authority are at a stand-still as the city of Toledo stopped negotiations on creating the authority during a meeting Monday.
City leaders say the only regional water plan still on the table for them is the Toledo Regional Water Commission, (Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz’s plan). In this plan, Toledo City Council would have the power to veto water rates for everyone involved. The board would be made up of public utilities directors from each community, with Toledo getting two spots.
When this same group met after this plan was introduced on May 25th, many suburban leaders were not happy about the ability of Toledo leaders to say no to the rates the board sets. After the meeting finished, the suburban leaders had voted to amend TAWA to have Toledo lease the plant, instead of entities gaining ownership. This way, the suburbs would help pay for the improvements constantly required by the EPA, but would not give up Toledoans’ ownership of the plant.
WTOL reports that now, suburban leaders are dissatisfied as the only plan Toledo is now allowing to move forward, many of them thought was off the table following the proposed amendment.
Toledo City Council ultimately has to vote on the issue and put it on the ballot in November because of the change to the city charter.
Kapszukiewicz was not at Monday’s meeting because he was attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Boston.
Several suburban entities have been looking at forming other plans that do not include obtaining water from Toledo. The communities involved in regional water talks include Maumee, Perrysburg, Sylvania, Whitehouse, Fulton County, Monroe County and the Northwestern Water and Sewer District.
Media in this article courtesy of WTOL. Tune into our local and state newscasts, anytime day or night, for this story and more.
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