TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo City Council has appointed Brittany Jones and MacGregor Driscoll as its newest members.
Council voted on the appointees during a Wednesday meeting and they were sworn in.
Jones, 36, is an evaluation and survey analyst at United Way of Greater Toledo. She has a doctorate from the University of Toledo in spatially integrated social sciences, a master's degree in urban planning from Wayne State University and a bachelor's degree in public affairs journalism from the Ohio State University.
Driscoll, 32, is a planner at ConnecToledo. He has a master's degree in urban planning and development from Cleveland State University and a bachelor's degree in religious studies from the University of Toledo.
The vacancies were created after Tiffany Whitman and Katie Moline announced their resignations to accept new positions. Whitman is the City of Toledo's new director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Moline was appointed Lucas County auditor.
Both appointees are filling at-large seats, which represent the entire city rather than a district.
Jones was appointed first after two rounds of voting. Driscoll was appointed second after five rounds. Council members recessed after the first three rounds of voting on Driscoll and nominees Erin Kramer, DeVon Overton and Alfonso Narvaez did not reach a majority.
After the recess, a fourth round of voting failed with council members John Hobbs III, Cerssandra McPherson, Theresa Morris, George Sarantou and Vanice Williams voting for Driscoll; Nick Komives, Sam Melden and Theresa Gadus voting for Overton; and Adam Martinez and council president Carrie Hartman voting for Kramer. Narvaez was not nominated in this round.
In the fifth round, Hartman and Melden switched their votes to Driscoll, securing him the seat with seven votes.
“I am confident that the two appointed members will serve our City residents with care and hard work,” Hartman said in a press release. “Thank you to all who applied. I hope those who did not receive this appointment continue to be involved in our community and city – we need you.”
Both Moline and Whitman were appointed to fill vacant council seats in 2020 and both won election to their own, four-year terms in 2021.
The vacancies drew a long list of potential appointees. Here's a full list of applicants:
- Gary Youssef Jr
- Radi Hassan Cheaib
- Robert Lee Miller
- John Gerard Pietrowski
- Khadijah Lynnette Cunningham
- Teri L. Scott
- Vivian Ann Crawford
- James Callaghan
- Kimberly LaVerne Munn
- Erin Marie Kramer
- David Edward Gedert
- Charles E. Stawowy
- Laure L. Hammond
- Raina Chenille Dawson
- Timothy Walter Glaza
- MacGregor W. Driscoll
- Peter Kosterman
- DeVon Jean Overton II
- Tracey Britt
- Alfonso R. Narvaez
- Thomas Francis Names
- Kyle Rush
- Clarissa Danae Marsche-Davis
- Dr. Linda Rouillard
- Evan James Copeland
- Maha Zeidan
- Craig Alexander Vanholden
- Maynard Charles Porter
- Jad Salamey
- Brittany Darshae Jones
- Shaun L. Strong
- Persephone Stevonnie Shock
- Erin Baker
- Robert James Worthington
- Angelo Hernandez Martinez
- Samuel Harden
- Blair M. Johnson
Before the appointments at Wednesday's meeting, council unanimously approved the 2024 operating budget and the 2024-28 budget for capital improvement and road improvement.
“With strong income tax collections, continued ARPA investments, and the incredible work of our grants team, this balanced budget safeguards the long-term financial health of Toledo and continues our investment in neighborhoods, road repair, public safety, and economic development,” Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said in a press release.
Multiple amendments to each budget were also approved on Wednesday. For the operating budget, council approved a $50,000 sponsorship for the Glass City JazzFest, $10,000 for council office upgrades and about $800,000 spread across a few city departments.
For the capital improvement budget, council approved $125,000 for each of the city's six council districts as part of the district improvement program and $200,00 for improvements to Schneider Park in south Toledo.
The retirement of Byron Daniels, a Toledo police officer who serves as the sergeant at arms for council, was announced on Wednesday. He was hired by the Toledo Police Department in 1993 and worked in various positions before being promoted to sergeant at arms in 2017 where he served as a liaison between council and TPD.
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