TOLEDO, Ohio - Negotiations between the city of Toledo and surrounding communities over a regional water authority may be at a halt.
WTOL 11 reports negotiations stopped after a Monday morning meeting where the City made it clear that the only plan it is considering is the one Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz put forward last month.
Under the Mayor's plan, a regional water commission would be formed to set rates or the entire system. However Toledo City Council would hold veto power over the commission's actions.
Suburban leaders say they are disappointed that the City is not willing to listen to their alternative proposals. Perrysburg Mayor Tom Mackin says he hoped to see a plan that promote regional cooperation.
"We're disappointed in the sense that everybody at the table and I believe also the current Toledo administration believes that an entire global solution using regional cooperation is ultimately the best solution, so we're a little disappointed that couldn't move forward," Mayor Mackin told WSPD's Scott Sands.
Mayor Kapszukiewicz did not attend this morning's meeting. He is currently in Boston, attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He says there are still many aspects of the regional water plan that are up for negotiations.
"We're not walking away. We're showing real leadership by amending our Charter to give our partners a seat at the table. We've been building toward this since at least February, We've developed a real, achievable plan to create a regional water plan, and now we're going to move forward on it. Under our leadership, a regional water system will be created. We are taking real action to create a regional water plan," Mayor Kapszukiewicz said in a statement to WSPD.
Mayor Mackin says the suburban communities haven't sat idle and are considering their options if a deal with Toledo falls apart.
"I think there is one good thing that has come from this is everybody's not sitting around, kind of waiting to see what happens. Everybody's now proactively saying 'well, where can I get water, what's the price of getting that water, how reliable and how good is that water?'"