The Honorable Wade Kapszukiewicz
Wade Kapszukiewicz was elected mayor of Toledo, Ohio on November 7, 2017 and took the oath of office on January 2, 2018, becoming the 58th mayor of the city.
Creating a regional water system, increasing the size and diversity of the police force, improving educational opportunities for Toledo’s youngest residents, and improving city services are among Mayor Kapszukiewicz’s top goals.
During his first year in office, the city of Toledo passed a balanced budget (the first unanimously passed since 2013), hired 80 new police officers, resurfaced more miles of roads than any year in the past two decades, created a bike share program, secured funding to clean up the long-blighted former Champion Spark Plug site, and helped lead a neighborhood coalition to save historic St. Anthony Catholic Church from demolition. This was accomplished while ending the year roughly $1 million under budget.
Mayor Kapszukiewicz was Lucas County Treasurer from 2005 until 2018. While treasurer, he worked to change state law in 2010 to allow for the creation of county land banks, founded the Lucas County Land Bank, and served as its chairman since August, 2010.
Mayor Kapszukiewicz served one term on the Lucas County Board of Education and was later a Toledo city councilman for nearly seven years. He was first elected to city council in 1999 and then re-elected in 2001 and 2003. When he began his service on Toledo City Council, at age 26, Mr. Kapszukiewicz had the distinction of being the youngest person to serve on the legislative body in 25 years.
Mr. Kapszukiewicz received a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Marquette University in 1994 and was named the valedictorian of the College of Communication, Journalism, and Performing Arts. He received a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan in 1996.
After receiving his master’s degree, Mr. Kapszukiewicz worked for two years as the Policy Analysis and Research Director of the New Ohio Institute, a public policy research organization that studied issues affecting Ohio’s urban areas. In April 1998 he accepted the position of Manager of Planning and Development at the Lucas County Mental Health Board, where he worked until he began serving on Toledo City Council. While on City Council, Mr. Kapszukiewicz taught a course in American Government at Owens Community College and also worked at COMPASS, a social service agency that works with people with drug and alcohol addictions.
Mr. Kapszukiewicz is a parishioner at Gesu Roman Catholic Church. A resident of Toledo since 1973, Mr. Kapszukiewicz was born in San Diego on October 30, 1972. He and his wife, Sarah, celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary in 2018. They live in the Old Orchard neighborhood of Toledo and have two children, Emma and Will.