There is a world of difference between leading through intimidation and leading through inspiration. Mike Bell is the best of a great field of candidates because he understands that difference.
Bell literally put his life on the line for Toledo, and he has parlayed the respect and experience he earned into a career that took him to Columbus as the state’s fire marshal. He is a proven leader with experience at the top of city government, and no one else has that the inside view.
Mike Bell
I believe Bell “knows what he doesn’t know,” and he will hire people who are experts in their fields, not try to over-reach and perform duties he is unqualified to attempt. His relationships with such leaders as Tom Crothers, executive director of the Downtown Toledo Improvement District, is just one example of the human resources that could be available to Bell as he builds a cabinet.
When he is in the room, Bell has a passion and fire for leadership that is focused and not erratic. He is consistent in his messages of embracing diverse ideas, uniting the people in and around Toledo and making the city a more conducive place to establish and operate a business.
Toledo needs a mayor who has faced the hottest flames and kept his cool, a mayor who does not require a long learning curve. Bell is that man.
Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.