Toledo Mayor Steve Dobosh swears in new city councilmember Eric Hayes.
Eric Hayes was elected to the Toledo City Council during the 2021 elections and he will do great things for Toledo and the community.
Eric and his wife are newer residents. He stated, "When my wife and I moved to Toledo about 4 years ago, we made a commitment to be involved in the community where we saw an appropriate need. I've been on the City Planning Commission for a few years and we accomplished good things. I also learned a lot about how Toledo's governance works. I wanted to be closer to the decision-making process for Toledo and decided to run for the Position #2 seat."
Eric has been instrumental in the Planning Commission in Toledo, but it was time for a change. Eric continued, "When I was informed that a couple of seats were opening in 2021, my wife and I discussed whether this would be a good time to run. The Planning Commission had worked hard and completed a great update to the 20-Year Comprehensive Plan; so I felt it was a good time to vacate that position and give someone else an opportunity to continue the good work the Planning Commission is doing."
It's always fun meeting new people, since Eric is still somewhat new, he is excited to get started. Eric stated, "While I'm still new-ish to Toledo, I feel an affinity toward this community. We are a hard working community who cares about each other. I continue to be impressed by how willing people are to give of their time and resources when the need arises. I am very conscious of people's property rights and will strive to uphold those rights as Toledo starts to grow and change in the coming years. Conscientious and controlled growth is key and the balance between attracting people and businesses, while still holding onto the small town feel, is very important to me." Controlled growth means keeping up with the infrastructure as growth is built. This is never an easy task to do.
Eric is for expanding the UGA into the city limits, he continued, "We will be seeing interest in expanding into our Urban Growth Area. That growth needs to be carefully considered. We have a bit of a chicken and egg problem going on right now. People want more services in Toledo, but new businesses are reluctant because our population size doesn't pencil well for a new business. My goal is to help the city attract both the people and the businesses that will help this community prosper."
Eric also is about bringing awareness to any community, he stated, "I also want more people to be aware of city business and hopefully participate in the decisions that will be happening in the coming years. This participation includes voting for ballot items (positions, measures, etc.). While we don't have a lot of impact at the State and Federal level, we surely have a voice at the city and county level. Our neighboring communities can and should band together to have a stronger voice, collectively, at the county and state level."
Eric has done an excellent job with the 20-year plan and now he is looking to other goals. Eric continued, "A very short-term goal is to get the word out that the 2021 US Census showed our population declined by about 100 people due to perceived home vacancy. This was not the case and we suspect that people didn't participate in the Census for a variety of reasons. What they don't realize is that Census numbers directly impact how much State and Federal assistance we can apply for. In the coming weeks, the city will be hiring an independent Census consultant to recount our community. My hope is that people will answer their doors; participate and be counted. The information gathered does not reflect directly on individuals. It will be used, in aggregate, to paint a proper economic picture of Toledo so we can apply for assistance that will benefit Toledo residents."
Toledo Mayor Steve Dobosh stated, "Eric Hayes has been a tremendous help on the Planning Commission, finishing the 20-year plan. Now, I look forward to working with him on the council. He has been an asset to the City of Toledo, always pitching in where help is needed. Congratulations Eric."
There is absolutely no doubt that Eric will be instrumental in the next phase of Toledo, he has rolled his sleeves up before and he will be doing it again for the city council. Thank you for all of your community commitment, it has been an asset to everyone living in the city.