Quote from interview on Deadline Now, 10/13/09
“I was the person who helped bring together Toledo and Maumee when they were fighting every day over the land in Monclova Township. I picked up the telephone, I called my counterpart in Maumee, Ben Marsh, and I said I’ve got an idea for how we can settle this, let’s form a joint economic development zone.” Keith Wilkowski.
Quote from Keith Wilkowski Biography:
[Appointed Sept. 1990]. As Law Director, Keith settled a long-standing dispute between the City of Toledo and the City of Maumee over 1400 acres of land Toledo had purchased in the 1980s in Monclova Township, intending to annex the property to Toledo. The dispute was settled by creating a Joint Economic Development Zone Agreement.” K. Wilkowski Biography
Draw your own conclusions from the following excerpts from Toledo Blade articles regarding this issue. In his interview on Deadline Now, one would believe Mr. Wilkowski was the first to devise the idea of forming a joint economic development zone when he became Law Director in Sept. 1990. In fact, it was an ongoing consideration involving numerous politicians from three communities, which required the unraveling of many state regulations regarding annexation, cities, townships, adjoining property and municipal codes. This took place over a number of years prior to late 1990. Dates of articles in the Blade:
·1/26/88, JEDZ was discussed.
·11/10/88, Gene Cook outlined his proposal for a JEDZ.
·11/17/88 ended almost 2 years of legal battles over Toledo’s annexation drive.. Mayor Barlos said Toledo and Maumee would pursue the creation of a joint economic development zone in Monclova Township
·9/26/89 MAUMEE COUNCIL OK’S ANNEX OF MONCLOVA PARCEL (required to form JEDZ.)
·4/10/91 Mr. McHugh and Mr. Barlos directed their administrators last fall to develop an agreement. Discussions became “intense” in January
Facts:
12/22/86 Toledo Blade
COUNCIL REVIEW SET FOR PURCHASE, ANNEXATION BILLS
City Council will be presented with legislation tomorrow to authorize City Manager Philip Hawkey to spend up to $12 million for 1,500 acres of Monclova Township property that the city wants to annex and to acquire options to buy another 472 acres of land in the township. The manager avoided a City Charter provision requiring Council approval for any expenditure of $2,500 or more by ordering the finance department to issue 26 checks for $1,000 each and one check for $2,000 to Port Lawrence Title & Trust Co., the trustee holding the 26 land options and the deeds on the parcels. Mr. Turner said he is holding the last check until the city closes on an option to buy land from the 27th property owner.
5/13/87 Toledo Blade
AREA OFFICIALS SEEK STATE ALLIES IN RIFT WITH TOLEDO
The Ohio House Elections and Township Committee heard testimony supporting a bill that effectively would legislate a truce in Toledo’s attempt to annex 1,200 acres it owns in Monclova Township. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Arlene Singer (D), Sylvania), would place a moratorium on filing and processing municipal annexation petitions until Dec. 31, 1988, giving the Legislature time to change municipal annexation laws as recommended by a joint committee created by the bill. Ben Marsh, Maumee city solicitor, said Toledo’s attempt to annex the property in Monclova Township illustrates that current laws “encourage the arrogant abuse of power.”
1/26/88 Toledo Blade
TOLEDO AGREES TO DROP BID TO ANNEX MONCLOVA LAND, PROPOSES JOINT ZONE
Toledo has agreed to drop its bid to annex more than 1,100 acres in Monclova Township and has proposed that joint economic development zone be created to develop the land…….. Maumee and the Township will be asked to join in a development zone, but Toledo is asking that Maumee include undeveloped parts of its Arrowhead Industrial Park.
· A plan by the city to ask the Legislature to allow all three parties to collect income taxes in the Township and for Monclova to be a partner in an enterprise zone.
11/6/88 Toledo Blade
MAUMEE-MONCLOVA MERGER PROPOSAL IS IN HANDS OF THE VOTERS
Voters in Maumee and Monclova will decide Tues if they want to merge into Toledo’s largest suburb and thus block, forever, Toledo’s bid to annex more than 1,100 acres it has bought in the Township for development. …. Maumee Mayor Harry Barlos says the only way to make sure Toledo does not eventually annex part or all of Monclova Township is for the merger to take place. “Passage of the merger stops Toledo.” He says. “Failure of the merger avails Toledo of numerous legal avenues to fulfill its annexation attempts.”
11/10/88 Toledo Blade
JOBS ZONE IS AGAIN SOUGHT FOR MONCLOVA
Now that the Monclova-Monclova merger has been defeated, efforts to resolve the conflict over Toledo’s annexation bid once again have turned to creation of a joint economic development zone. Mr. Barlos said the Toledo land then could be placed in a joint economic development zone with the 2 cities splitting development costs and the income tax revenue from businesses that locate there. …. Councilman Gene Cook said creation of a three-way economic development zone as he proposed in March - is the way to go [includes]:
· Formation of a zone that would include Toledo’s Township property and any additional land Monclova and Maumee place in it.
· Establishment of a five-member board to oversee development in the zone. Toledo, Maumee and Monclova would appoint one member each and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority would appoint the remaining two members.
· A tax-sharing formula with personal and real property taxes continuing to go to the Township. And the Anthony Wayne school district. Revenue from an income tax levied in the zone would be shared by all three partners based on the amount of their financial investment and the services they provide.
· Asking the Ohio General Assembly to change state statutes to allow a Township to participate in such a zone and for income taxes to be collected in it.
11/17/88 Toledo Blade
TOLEDO, MAUMEE END LEGAL WAR
Toledo and Maumee have ended almost 2 years of legal battles over Toledo’s annexation drive in Monclova Township by dropping all court action and heading to the negotiating table. ….. Mayor Barlos said Toledo and Maumee would pursue the creation of a joint economic development zone in Monclova Township. Under Ohio law, cities can create such a zone, but townships cannot. …. For such a zone to be created, the land must be annexed into a city. And it appears only Maumee can do that.
9/26/89 Toledo Blade
MAUMEE COUNCIL OK’S ANNEX OF MONCLOVA PARCEL
Maumee city council has given initial approval to a proposal to annex 250 acres in Monclova Township….. It is part of the 1,200 acres in Monclova and Springfield Township Toledo purchased for $14 million in an aborted attempt to annex for development. The Maumee council resolution affirms the ability of that city to provide municipal services to the annexed area, a requirement of the state annexation code.
April 10, 1991 Toledo Blade
MAUMEE, TOLEDO PLAN MONCLOVA LAND DEAL
The City of Maumee, which helped block Toledo’s attempt in 1987 to annex nearly 1,200 acres of city owned land in Monclova Township plans to annex that land at Toledo’s request and form a joint tax district with its large neighbor. … Mr. McHugh and Mr. Barlos directed their administrators last fall to develop an agreement. Discussions became “intense” in January. …. For the first 5 years, Maumee would receive ½ of 1% of the tax to pay for tax administration and services in the zone, with Maumee and Toledo sharing the rest equally. For years 6 through 10, Maumee’s share would drop to 1/3 of 1%. It would decrease to2/4 of 1% in the last 10 years.
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