TOLEDO, Ohio — The 2023 Kid Mayor of Toledo was announced Tuesday as 10-year-old Gabrielle Mukiira, a fourth-grade student at Grove Patterson Elementary in west Toledo.
She prefers to go by Gabby, and she accepted Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz's offer to become one of the newest city officials with two yesses: the first a calm and professional one befitting of a leader, followed by an even more emphatic one that showed hints of youthful excitement.
Alongside the city-appointed Kid Council, Gabby and her mayor-council government -- the same form of local government that Toledo operates under -- will learn about various city departments and what they do day-to-day. The youths will then highlight issues and opportunities for growth in the Glass City and present policy to Toledo City Council based on their findings.
The members of the 2023 Kid Council are:
- Joseph Haslinger
- George Haslinger
- Melanie Buenavista
- A'mora Richardson
- Leighla Williams
- Edward McDaniel III
- Jayla Churchill
- Bryce Cowell
- Arabella Gentile
- Celeste Moran
- Madelyn Branum
- Dexton Cooper
Gabby's goals for her term include spreading peace and love, which she practices in her daily life as a positive personality who enjoys dancing and drawing.
Gabby is the second Kid Mayor of Toledo, succeeding Evelyn Bush, the inaugural Kid Mayor who served her term while a student at Glenwood Elementary School.
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