IS IT TRUE OCTOBER 9, 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 the former City Council President and Finance Chairman John Friend, CPA predicted three years ago that starting in 2018 the City of Evansville will be experiencing a major budget melt down was spot on?  …Mr. Friend also predicts that the 2019 and 2020  city budget shall be financial disasters?  …he also predicted that the only ways the city can balance future budgets are increase taxes, make major budget cuts and lay off employees?

IS IT TRUE that many people in the rural area feel that the Vanderburgh County Council members have let them down?  …when members of the Vanderburgh County Council ran for office they promised to be open, aggressive, be a conservative voice and most of all that they would stand up for the taxpayers?  …we wonder why not one County Council member decided not to take Mayor Lloyd Winnecke to task for quieting prodding City Council members to vote on the County Option Income Tax (COIT) without asking their approval or input?

IS IT TRUE that the taxpayers of Evansville still hasn’t any idea where Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke stands on the proposed COIT tax increase? …we hope that Mayor Winnecke will make a public statement if he’s for or against the COIT tax increase before City Council votes on this issue at tonights meeting?

IS IT TRUE that our Civic Center “Moles” tell us that Mayor Winnecke decided not to mess with the “HOMESTEAD TAX CREDIT” in 2018?

IS IT TRUE that very little has been said on how Mayor Winnecke plans to pay for the Evansville Thunderbolts Hockey team operating expenses for 2018?  …we can’t find any reference to the Thunderbolts in the proposed 2018 City operating budget?  …we been told that some of the Thunderbolts 2018 operating expenses may have been quietly added to the Evansville/Vanderburgh County Building Authority 2018 operating budget?  …we expect City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr to make a statement concerning this issue at tonights council meeting?

IS IT TRUE that the proposed 2018 City budget didn’t address the current $2.9 million city employees Healthcare deficit for 2017?  …that no money has been allocated in the proposed 2018 city budget to pay these deficits?  …we feel compiled to warn you that the city employees Healthcare deficit could be even higher depending on medical claims filed  before the end of this year?  … we hear that the city employees Healthcare deficit may be well over $4 million at the end of this year?

IS IT TRUE we are told that many members of the Evansville Fire and the Evansville Police Departments don’t want the city to spend a dime of the 2018 COIT tax increase towards past, current or future unpaid city employees healthcare medical claims? …we are hearing that the FOP and EPD members want the money collected from the 2018 COIT tax increase go to first responders equipment, salaries, fire trucks, police cars, retirement funds and etc?  …so far Mayor Winnecke hasn’t said how he will allocate the money from the 2018 COIT tax increase?

IS IT TRUE that the council leadership and the Mayor are promoting the proposed 2018 COIT tax increase as a “public safety” tax? …other members of council are calling it a “paying down the city employee healthcare deficit” tax?

IS IT TRUE Its guesstimated that the COIT tax increase will generate around $5 million for the city and $3 million for the county in 2018?

IS IT TRUE that City Council members Justin Elpers and John Hayden have submitted $1.8 million dollar in cuts to the proposed 2018 city budget?  …we hear they would like to see the budget savings to be used to pay down the current unpaid city employees healthcare bills?

IS IT TRUE that City Council members Dan McGinn, Jonathan Weaver, and Missy Mosby have recommended a mere $383,000 in budget cuts for 2018?  …they are promoting that the increase to COIT tax will fix the projected city employees Healthcare budget shortfalls for 2017 and 2018?

IS IT TRUE that City Council members Justin Elpers and John Hayden have recommended budget cuts to the Penguin exhibit at the Mesker Zoo and a new construction project on the Greenway?

IS IT TRUE that Missy Mosby, Dan McGinn, and Jonathan Weaver want to cut $175,000 from the proposed 2018 city budget that was set aside for improvements designed to stop further deterioration of Mesker Park Amphitheater?

IS IT TRUE we are told that three (3) City Council members didn’t submit one amendment to the proposed 2018 city budget?  …the City Council members are: Connie Robinson (D), Dan Adams (D) and Jim Brinkmeyer (D)?

FOOTNOTE: if you want to contact members of the Evansville City Council to discuss your concerns pertaining to the proposed 2018 City budget listed below are their contact information?

1- DAN MCGINN-FINANCE CHAIRMEN

(H) 812-4796336- or dmcginn@evansville.in.gov

WARD 2 – MISSY MOSBY-PRESIDENT

(C) 812-453-6479 or mmosby@evansville.in.gov

WARD 3 – JOHN HAYDEN

(C) 812-618-2122 or jhayden@evansville.in.gov

WARD 4 – CONSTANCEROBINSON

(C) 812-204-3869 or
(H) 812-425-2372 or connie@hmrdistribution.com

WARD 5 JUSTIN ELPERS-VICE CHAIRMAN

(C) 812-454-3479 or jelpers@evansville.in.gov

WARD 6 – JIM BRINKMEYER

(C) 812-480-6909 or jbrinkmeyer@evansville.in.gov

AT- LARGE -DR. H. DAN ADAMS

(H) 812-425-4220 or (C) 812-459-4221 or drhda501@aol.com

AT-LARGE MICHELLE MERCER

(C) 812-568-5393 or mmercer@evansville.in.gov

AT-LARGE JONATHAN WEAVER

(H) 812-568-0562 or jweaver@evansville.in.gov

 FOOTNOTE: This contact lists was provided to the City County Observer by CITY CLERK LAURA WINDHORST

Todays READERS POLL question is:Do you feel that Mayor Winnecke should make a public statement if he’s for or against the COIT tax increase before City Council votes on this issue?
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EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City County Observer or our advertisers

 

11 COMMENTS

  1. Dan, Apparently, the City Clerk’s office failed to submitted your amendment(s) in writing? Since Elpers, Hayden, Mosby, Weaver, Mercer, and McGinn’s are reduced to amendments.

    • DR. Adams

      The City Clerk never sent us a copy of your amendment. Please send it to us and we will be glad to post it.

      Thanks for reading the City County Observer.

      Editor

    • Joe

      We don’t know. Please contact Councilman Elpers i’m sure he will tell you.

      Thanks,

      Editor

  2. Who knows the actual open invoices totals from heath care providers? Old Russ is like the spouse or in my case ex-wife, you notice in the checking account there seems to be plenty of money not aware that the ex has raided the retirement funds, failed to fund the IRA, failed to fund the kids education fund, and in the ex’s desk drawer, there are mounts of unpaid credit cards. Of course, the ex deposited the retirement funds into the checking. Folks, this is actually what is going on and Councilmen McGinn is either inept or colluding or both. Since Mosby orchestrated the repeal of the Separation of Funds ordinance, old Russ has commingled funds into only one checking account and puts unpaid bills into his desk drawer Perhaps this explains why this Administration constantly comes up with project after project, using the first project moneys to cover operations and the second project moneys to fund to first. Pronzi????

  3. How can the City of Evansville increase spending 6.7% in a place with no population growth and minimal wage growth? Are people who have seen health insurance prices explode, utility rates stay the highest, and are facing water rates that are unheard of going to tolerate this? They might. They have been taking it for decades.

  4. If our city officials were financially responsible we would not be having a tax increase ,our city council and mayors office have been lying to the public since they said WE THE PEOPLE wanted the Roberts Municipal Stadium destroyed and replaced with a piece of crap downtown,,,imho some of these public officials need to be incarcerated

Comments are closed.