IS IT TRUE OCTOBER 11, 2017

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We hope that todays “IS IT TRUE” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we as responsible citizens of this community need to address in a rational and responsible way.

IS IT TRUE it now looks like former City Council President and Finance Chairman John Friend, CPA predictions three years ago that starting in 2018 the City of Evansville will be experiencing a major budget melt down was spot on?  …after last Mondays evening City Council budget meeting it  also looks like Mr. Friend predictions that the 2019 and 2020 city budgets will be financial disasters may be spot on?

IS IT TRUE that the statement made by Deputy Mayor Steve Schaefer that Mayor Lloyd Winnecke does not support the COIT tax increase is not only laughable but insulting to the intelligence of the taxpayers of this community? …everybody knows that if the Mayor didn’t want to increase taxes it wouldn’t happen?

IS IT TRUE that the 2018 City budget included an item thats is really confusing us?  …we wonder if anyone can explain in detail why City Council approved $11 million dollars for a Downtown loan debt?

IS IT TRUE that was nothing was said during the budget meeting about how Mayor Winnecke plans to pay for the Evansville Thunderbolts Hockey team operating expenses for 2018?  …we couldn’t find any reference to the Thunderbolts in the proposed 2018 City operating budget? … Its time for City Council Finance Chairman Dan McGinn to make a formal and detailed statement concerning this issue at the next City Council meeting?

IS IT TRUE last Monday evening the Evansville City Council approved a 20 percent tax increase for the citizens of Vanderburgh County while members of the County Council remained silent?   …were extremely disappointed that County Council President John Montrastelle decided not to address this issue? …County Council members may run but they won’t be able to hide from the rural voters in the next county wide election?

IS IT TRUE that the majority of City Council members did some political back peddling to keep the funding of $102,500 for New Hope Missionary Baptist Church’s bus route to North 41 businesses, reversed the $105,500 allocation to provide support to 14 nonprofit organizations?  …when elected officials take a strong budgetary stance and do a 180 an degree reversal it’s a major disappointment?
IS IT TRUE that it has been reported that the management group that is in charge of the McCurdy apartments in Downtown Evansville face a $750,000 water/sewer bill for a 5 month period starting April 1st and ending September 30th?…the bill happened as a result of The Kunkel Group’s installation of an open-loop geothermal system to heat and cool the recently embattled Riverfront building?…the City  of Evansville estimates, the McCurdy sends 12 million gallons of water to the treatment plant per month, which amounts to 3 percent of the East Side treatment facility’s capacity?…This exorbitant cost has the potential to be the death knell of the McCurdy as it amounts to $150,000 per month which equates to over $1,500 per apartment per month?…The Kunkel Group is thought to have invested $10 million into redeveloping the historic building, which faces the Ohio River?…we are concerned for the future of renewable energy in Evansville, In as the rent for these apartments to sustain the operational cash flow will have to be between $2,500 and $3,000 per month for the operator to have any incentive to do anything but dump the McCurdy back onto the market at which time it will most likely sit there unoccupied for another 9 years or more?

IS IT TRUE there are many in the medical and social services world who are still stumped by the unbelievably high suicide rate in Vanderburgh County and what is driving it?…as a refresher Vanderburgh County was exposed for having one of the highest suicide rates in the nation back in 2009 when 49 people took their own lives?…as of April of 2017 there had been 22 suicides already which put us on pace for a record year of 66 self inflicted fatalities?…if the trend holds through the end of the year and there are 66 suicides then Evansville’s suicide rate will be 36 suicides per 100,000 population?

IS IT TRUE in the first 9 months of 2017 here have been 55 deaths by drug overdose?…last year there were 50 but years ago this number was single digits?…Evansville does have a relatively low murder rate compared to peer cities?

Today’s ‘Readers Poll” question is: Do you believe the statement made at last Monday evening City  Council meeting that Mayor Winnecke was against the COIT tax increase is true?

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8 COMMENTS

  1. Sounds like the admin thinks it is the water dept. problem the Kunkel group is using a lot of water at the McCurdy. Meanwhile a 100 poor people a month are shut off,some with children. I pay sewage on water that never sees a sewer when I water my lawn. If you use it you got to pay for it. This is a expense that is well known with these systems. They are only efficient and cost effective if the water is free. Don’t blame the water dept. or the city on this one Kunkel knew this going in.

    • I believe with your watering and with open loop geothermal a separate meter is allowed so that you don’t pay sewer charges on water that does not need treatment. If that hasn’t been taken away as an option since I moved, I know this is true because I did it.

      • Yes if you are wealthy enough you can have a second service on your lawn sprinkler. You will not be charged for sewage on this service. This requires a lot of inspections to make sure the two services are not connected. The same with a well meter except you do not pay for the water but do pay for the sewage. Both require inspections. This is not a unusual or new thing.

        • I thought so. As I recall it only costed me about $350 to do that. I was watering about an acre of grass so it paid for itself in a matter of months.

          • Prices have gone up a lot for a second tap. If you got the permit and the tap plus the sprinkler line for $350 you did good. It would be about $3500 now.

  2. Has the City sent inspectors out to check any geothermal units at Kunkle’s other projects???

  3. Ex Rep Hostettler used the same tactic as Winnecke. When JH was sure a vote would pass he would be the only or nearly only rep to vote NO as to be seen as a hero to tax payers. he did to for years and the 8th district suckers sent him back term after term. What a phoney

  4. Winnecke is a joke. He waited until after the increase in COIT had been approved, and then came out against it !

    He also approved of the overall budget, which included the tax increase.

    The $ 11 Million for ‘Downtown Debt’ is indeed interesting. Is someone trying to change the funding mechanism for the Fraud Center ?

Comments are closed.