Carty Finkbeiner

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Carty Finkbeiner bigraphy, stories - an American Democratic politician who is the current mayor of Toledo, Ohio

Carty Finkbeiner : biography

May 30, 1939 –

Carleton "Carty" S. Finkbeiner (born May 30, 1939 Toledo, Ohio) is a Democratic Party (United States) politician who is the former mayor of Toledo, Ohio. First elected in 1993, he took office on January 1, 1994. In 1997, he defeated challenger Nick Wichowski to win a second term. Term limits prevented him from running a third consecutive time. He was succeeded by former mayor, Jack Ford in 2002. Following his first administration, Finkbeiner served on the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority board. He joined the ABC affiliate in Toledo and hosted Carty & Company, a Sunday morning public affairs show. He also contributed a weekly editorial segment, It’s Just Not Right! Finkbeiner left WTVG in May 2005.

On June 30, 2005, Finkbeiner announced that he would seek a third term as mayor. He won the Toledo Mayoral Primary, winning roughly 37% of the vote in comparison to 29% earned by incumbent Ford. On November 8, 2005, Finkbeiner was re-elected mayor. Finkbeiner was sworn in for his third term as mayor in a private ceremony on January 3, 2006. Finkbeiner has proved to be a very controversial mayor for the city of Toledo due to many of his policies, behavior, and public gaffes (see "Controversy" section). Toward the end of Finkbeiner’s third term as mayor a recall effort drive to remove him from office was successfully put on the ballot but was ultimately struck down by the Ohio Supreme Court due to technicalities. Carty announced that his third run as mayor will be his final one and he would not seek re-election. Ohio Fire Marshall Michael P. Bell, an Independent, succeeded Carty Finkbiener in 2010.

Finkbeiner currently resides with his wife, Amy Finkbeiner, in South Toledo. He has three children: Ryan, Jenny, and Katie, and five grandchildren.

Accomplishments

As a city councilman, Finkbeiner led efforts to the change from city manager/council format of government to the strong mayor executive style Toledo currently has in place.

While in office, Toledo had the largest building growth in decades, including construction of:

  • The Cesar Pelli designed Owens Corning World Headquarters
  • Chrysler Jeep Plant
  • State Prison
  • Dana Corporation Headquarters (since relocated to another building.)
  • The Docks—an upscale restaurant and entertainment cluster on the Maumee River
  • Buckeye Basin Greenbelt Parkway
  • Fifth Third Field– a new downtown stadium for the Toledo Mud Hens
  • Additions to The Toledo Hospital
  • Improvements to General Motors Transmission Assembly Plant
  • The conversion of the former Hillcrest Hotel. Macy’s (formerly Lasalle’s), and Commodore Perry Hotel buildings into apartment buildings.
  • The Museum Place apartments
  • Redevelopment of several blocks in the Warren Sherman neighborhood through relocating residents from substandard housing on these blocks and building new housing there.

Finkbeiner led the "Keep Jeep" movement, helping to convince Daimler-Chrysler to keep Jeep production centered in Toledo. The new plant brought an estimated 6,500 jobs and $2 billion in estimated annual payroll to the city.

Public investments were made in the baseball stadium (owned by Lucas County), the museum (since closed and re-opened as ), and the (now largely vacant), to varying degrees of success.

These strategies combined with tax incentives lead to significant private-sector investment. Many historic buildings were renovated and today house reduced- and market-rate housing, small shops, restaurants, and nightclubs.

In 1998, during Finkbeiner’s second term in office, Toledo won the title of "All-America City Award of the National Civic League." Only 10 cities a year are given such a distinction.

In 1999, the White House Millennium Council dubbed Toledo an official Millennium Community of the Month for December.http://www.usmayors.org/usmayornewspaper/documents/12_06_99/Toledo_celebratestxt.htm