Press Release: Bob Vasquez - Erie Street Market

This just in from the Bob Vasquez for City Council campaign:

A press conference is being held today at 1:30 p.m. at the Erie Street Market.

Candidate Bob Vasquez says Toledo is Rudderless in Economic Development--Calls on Council to act immediately to reign in problem

Bob Vasquez, At-Large Toledo City Council candidate, will hold an afternoon press conference to discuss the Erie Street Market and how it affects Toledo’s economic well being.

Mr. Vasquez will demand that Council take action to Toledo’s economic development department forward. He will discuss the hiring of Don Monroe as the Erie Street Market’s interim manager and why that move is detrimental to the city.

Mr. Monroe is also in charge of the City’s largest economic development project, the Marina District.

PAID FOR BY THE VASQUEZ COMMITTEE. 2156 PLUMLEAF LANE. TOLEDO, OH, 43614

UPDATE: The following additional information was provided by the Bob Vasquez for Toledo City Council campaign:

• Council should not approve one cent more for the Erie Street Market until there’s been a complete audit of the true financial picture of the market. We have to ask the question—why are we doing this? What is our goal? Most importantly, what is the plan? Why are we continually spending money on a project that hasn’t worked?

• As a member of Council, I need to make the case to the citizens of Toledo that we are spending their tax dollars in the most prudent manner, considering the loss of tax base that the city has incurred.

• Don Monroe was brought on to manage the Marina District project. He is also the president of River East. Now he’s taking on yet another major project for the City and still is working—and being paid—without a contract. Don Monroe is a talented individual but to put all of these projects on one person is unrealistic. It’s a setup for another failure at the Erie Street Market and it’s not fair to Toledo taxpayers who have already sunk millions of dollars into the facility.

UPDATE 2: Politics in Mudville has additional background information on this story.

:-)