Carleton S. Finkbeiner
| Carleton S. Finkbeiner | |
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|
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| In office 1994 – 2002 (Not continuous) |
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| Preceded by | John McHugh and Jack Ford |
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| Succeeded by | Incumbent |
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| Born | 1939 in Toledo, Ohio |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Amy Finkbeiner |
| Residence | Toledo, Ohio, United States |
Carleton "Carty" S. Finkbeiner (born in 1939) is an American Democratic politician who is the current 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 the 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 currently resides with his wife, Amy Finkbeiner, in South Toledo. He has three children: Ryan, Jenny, and Katie, and five grandchildren.
Background
Finkbeiner was born (1939) and raised in Toledo, graduating from Maumee Valley Country Day School. He received a B.A. from Denison University. Prior to his political career, he taught at Maumee Valley Country Day School, St. Francis de Sales High School, and the University of Toledo.
Finkbeiner is something of a political weathervane. During his long career in public service, Carty has been a member of multiple parties. At various times and for various offices he has run as a Republican, a Democrat and an Independent.
Finkbeiner served eight years as a city councilman and two years as deputy mayor.
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.
During his administration, Finkbeiner oversaw Toledo's largest building growth in decades, including construction of:
- Owens Corning World Headquarters
- Daimler-Chrysler Jeep Plant
- State Prison
- Dana Corporation Headquarters
- Erie Street Market
- 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
Finkbeiner spearheaded 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.
Extensive downtown redevelopment was a hallmark of the Finkbeiner administration. It played a major role in Toledo winning the title of "All-America City Award of the National Civic League" in 1998, being one of only 10 cities in the United States to receive this honor.
In 1999, the White House Millennium Council dubbed Toledo an official Millennium Community.
Controversy
Known as much for his temper as his work ethic, many allegations surfaced throughout Finkbeiner's two terms, and more continue to surface in his third.
Toledo restaurateur John Skiadas filed a law-suit alleging that Finkbeiner physically and verbally assaulted him at the Erie Street Market in 2000. The lawsuit was dismissed by Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Charles Wittenberg in 2004.[1][2]
Finkbeiner was the focus of a segment on the Daily Show poking fun at statements he made suggesting that Toledo could be the next Hollywood. During the interview, Carty expressed his ideas while the camera fixated on Toledo's most rundown neighborhoods, contrasting them with the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. The segment aired during the 1997-98 season.
On July 1, 1998, Carty was fined $400 and court costs after pleading guilty to Ethics charges when he was Mayor, realized a $10,000 profit from Owens Corning's purchase of his condo, and his failure to publicly report the gain.[citation needed]
He plagiarized a single line in his KICK-OFF speech in 1998.[3]
Finkbeiner suggested relieving the problem of noise complaints from neighbors of Toledo Express Airport by selling homes nearby at low cost to deaf people.[4]
Several times throughout his administration, controversies such as these brought national attention to Toledo.
In early 2006, political adversaries scoffed over the Mayor spending $9,996 of city money to complete the installation of shower facilities in the City Government building. They attempted to label the project a "controversy" because the shower quote was originally $10,006, six dollars over a threshold that requires approval from City Council. The contractor was able to shave $10 from the project, something a vocal minority felt was unethical. [5]
In 2004, Finkbeiner experienced health problems and underwent bypass surgery.[6]
In May 2006, he called Toledo's African-American Fire Chief Michael Bell “King Kong” at a staff meeting. Finkbeiner later clarified his remarks as relating to the Chiefs physical stature, and Chief Bell has acknowledged in public that he took no offense to the remarks.[7]
In June 2006, Jack Smith resigned from his brief tenure as Chief of Police after what he described as a near-physical confrontation with the mayor after they exchanged words.[8]
In January 2007, Finkbeiner claimed that both he and wife Amy were treated unprofessionally by Ottawa County sheriff's deputies when they tried to visit Amy's son, an inmate, on separate occasions. Amy Finkbeiner claimed she was not allowed to use a ladies' room at the jail, while Finkbeiner said he was denied a chance to visit after visiting hours had concluded. Sheriff Bob Bratton said the deputies were only doing their jobs. [9]
Later that month, Finkbeiner and his press secretary were sued by radio station WSPD, claiming that First Amendment provisions regarding freedom of the press were violated when the press secretary forcibly kept a station employee out of a public press conference. Finkbeiner's objection to the employee is that he produces opinions and editorials, and is not in fact a reporter on behalf of WSPD. On January 31, a federal judge granted the station a permanent injunction requiring Finkbeiner and his staff to admit station personnel.[10]
He has also suggested a cafe be built on the Martin Luther King bridge so city employees could eat there while the bridge was undergoing construction, ignoring that the MLK is a draw bridge, opening frequently to allow ships to pass. [11]
In August 2007, Finkbeiner was confronted on two occasions by reporters because he parked in a handicapped spot and left his dog in the car during a hot spell. Finkbeiner denied mistreating the animal.[12]
External Links
- CartyFinkbeiner.Com -- official website
References
- ^ http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050513/NEWS16/505130359
- ^ http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041125/NEWS02/411250356
- ^ http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050716/NEWS16/507160394
- ^ http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051103/NEWS09/51103044&SearchID=73225970471704
- ^ http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060225/NEWS16/602250376
- ^ http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050809/COLUMNIST03/508090346
- ^ http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060531/OPINION02/60531030
- ^ http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060701/NEWS16/607010388/-1/RSS
- ^ http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070106/NEWS03/70106037
- ^ http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070117/NEWS02/701170428
- ^ http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070403/COLUMNIST03/704030371
- ^ http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070807/NEWS16/70807014&SearchID=73289616752507
| Preceded by John McHugh |
Mayor of Toledo,
Ohio 1994-2002 |
Succeeded by Jack Ford |
| Preceded by Jack Ford |
Mayor of Toledo,
Ohio 2006-Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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