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Toledo mayoral candidates discuss their stance on community issues

There are only six weeks, or 42 days until election day. The Toledo mayoral race is down to two candidates: Incumbent Paula Hicks-Hudson and Lucas County Auditor Wade Kapszukiewicz.

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - There are only six weeks, or 42 days until election day. The Toledo mayoral race is down to two candidates: Incumbent Paula Hicks-Hudson and Lucas County Treasurer Wade Kapszukiewicz.

Both kicked off their general election campaigns on Monday, speaking to voters on different issues.

Hicks-Hudson spoke about revitalizing our neighborhoods, and Kapszukiewicz about going after a bid for the second Amazon headquarters.

Kapszukiewicz is running on wanting to restore the confidence in our city, and move away from how things are going at One Government Center currently.

"Are we happy with the status quo, or do we want to go in a new direction? Do we believe we have a bright new future or should we stay tied to the decisions of the past?" asked Kapszukiewicz.

While Mayor Hicks-Hudson is running on continuing the momentum she said she's created since moving in to the 22nd floor two years ago.

"Safe neighborhoods, safe drinking water, increasing government efficiencies, those are the ways in which we were able to do fix our residential streets and just working with our partners for further job creation and economic development," said Hicks-Hudson.

Both agree on safety for neighborhoods, fixing streets, and making sure drinking water is safe. However, one of the big issues they do not agree on, is whether or not Lake Erie should be declared impaired.

"I don't believe that the federal government is going to help us with this particular issue, we've been dealing with the fact of agriculture run off this is not a new phenomenon, this has been going on for a while," said Hicks-Hudson.

She said she believes declaring Lake Erie impaired is just a feel good thing, and instead, city leaders should be partnering with local and regional officials to fix this.

Kapszukiewicz does not feel the same.

"We need to declare Lake Erie impaired. Do you know why? Because it is impaired and we should never be afraid to tell the truth about a problem, we will never solve a problem, if we don't even admit it exists," said Kapszukiewicz.

And what about the current battle happening between the city and county? Kapszukiewicz said this lawsuit, and the inability to get a levy on the ballot for the jail is wasting taxpayer's money.

"Because they're shooting spitballs at each other like a bunch of 2nd graders, the taxpayers are going to end up facing several million dollars more to build this jail and that's wrong," said Kapszukiewicz.

The two candidates will square off on November 7th.

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