We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUEâ€Â 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 we have been informed by several people in the know that the new CEO/President of the Evansville Convention and Vistors Bureau yearly salary may have been grossly understated to the media?  …it has been alleged that the salary for the new CEO/President of the not-for-profit Evansville Convention and Vistors Bureau was around $125,000 a year not including benefits?  …it’s now alleged that the correct salary for the incoming CEO/President of the not-for-profit Evansville Convention and Vistors Bureau is  $175,000 a year not including benefits?  …if the above information is correct we consider this to be a developing story?
IS IT TRUE the Vanderburgh County Commissioners recently voted to “drop†the requirement that members of the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals be registered members of either the Democratic or Republican party? …that the County Commission voted 3-0 that party affiliation has no place in determining a person’s tax appeal?
IS IT TRUE on January 8th, Vanderburgh County Commissioner Jeff Hatfield appeared before the County Council to ask them to follow suit and drop the political party requirement when considering their new appointee to this board? …the County Council voted 7-0 to do so? …we agree with County Commissioner Jeff Hatfield that political party affiliation should have no place in determining a person’s property taxes appeal?
IS IT TRUEÂ that the Evansville City Council has nine members? …when five (5) members or more of the same political party meet behind closed doors its called a political caucus? …when four (4) Democrats and one Republican City Council members meet behind closed doors to discuss the people business it could be in violation of the State of Indiana “Sunshine Laws”?
IS IT TRUE over the years the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Department has earned a reputation of being the mecca for political patronage and pork-barrel politics?
IS IT TRUE we were taken by surprise to hear that Mayor Winnecke appointed former City Councilwoman Connie Robinson to the Evansville Water and Sewer Utilities Board? …that Evansville Water and Sewer Utility board members are compensated between $3,000 to $5,000 a year for serving on that board?  …that politic make strange bedfellows?
IS IT TRUE we have been told by reliable sources that the City of Evansville officials have been quietly meeting with officials from the EPA?  …because of the unexpected new demands of the EPA, the Evansville Water and Sewer ratepayers better get ready for a shocking rate increase in the very near future?
IS IT TRUE everyday members of our local law enforcement work many scenes of shootings several times every week? …they also chase and apprehend suspects fleeing the scene of the shootings? …we are proud of our man and women in blue for help keeping our community safe from bad people? …our law enforcement has an extremely stressful and dangerous job?  …the next time you see our first responders please give them a “thumbs up” for doing a great job in protecting us?
IS IT TRUE if only County Council members Tom Shelter, Jr, and Jim Raaben would have listened to former County Commissioner Dave Mosby, Vanderburgh County we wouldn’t be experiencing the current jail overcrowding problem today?  …over 16 years ago Mr. Mosby wanted to build an additional pod to the Vanderburgh County jail that would have housed 250 more inmates but was voted down by the County Council?
IS IT TRUE that Tom Shetler, Jr was just elected President of the Vanderburgh County Council for 2020?  …that Angela Koehler Lindsey was elected Vice President and James Raben was named Chairman of the Finance Committee?  …those in the political know say that these appointments may not be good news for those who are promoting to build a larger county jail pod that will meet the needs of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff Office for the next 25 years?
IS IT TRUE it’s a well-known fact that the overzealous conservative County Council President Tom Shelter, Jr spearheaded the effort to build a smaller jail 16 years ago? …that he made a major mistake then and is on the verge doing similar this year?
IS IT TRUE we predict that the Shelter, Raben, and Koehler Lindsey team will only support a 300-bed jail expansion project?
IS IT TRUE that the Vanderburgh County Public Defender plays an important role in our social fabric by ensuring that those who can least afford legal representation in our Courts are fully protected?
IS IT TRUE that Vanderburgh County Commissioner Ben Shoulders currently has a political war chest of around $125,000 and is expected to increase to around $175,000 by March 2020?
IS IT TRUEÂ in the private sector when a person is accused of taking funds from an existing business to pay personal debts its called embezzlement or misappropriations? Â …in Evansville when a person is working in the public sector is accused of taking funds from an existing non-profit business to pay personal debts it’s called “we never file an official police report?
IS IT TRUEÂ last year a well-known website called Niche.com that tracks the cost of living across the United States named the Indiana cities of Fort Wayne, Evansville, and South Bend as the cheapest places in the country to live?…the City-County Observer is confident that no one who contributed to this article has ever paid a utility bill from Vectren or the City of Evansville Sewer and Water Utility department?…when digging an inch below the surface one finds that Niche.com only considers housing, food, fuel, and property taxes?…property taxes are by definition 1% of the market value of the house so cheap houses means low taxes?…with the always under attack HOMESTEAD TAX CREDIT there are some homeowners who pay nearly no property taxes at all?…fuel may be cheap in Evansville but it is always cheaper across the money saving bridge in Kentucky or down at Marina Point?…food is and always has been reasonably priced in Evansville but part of that is because locals tend not to be willing to pay for designer brands and have an appetite for very inexpensive fast food from a drive up window? …Niche also excluded the cost of healthcare which is quite high due to the high levels of obesity, smoking, sedentary living and abuse of alcohol?…while Evansville is not even close to the cost of places like San Francisco, it is far from the cheapest place in the United States?
IS IT TRUEÂ that Vanderburgh County Clerk Carla Hayden and her staff did an outstanding job in conducting the recent city election?
A Republican Mayor is giving a $3000 to $5000 a year position to a democrat Connie Robinson. The mayor could not find a Republican to give the job to or is this a payoff? There is something fishy here but unfortunately there is no one to investigate it.
It’s called the Mayor keeping 4th ward leaders happy.
The mayor is a nominal republican at best. I also think it is some sort of payoff. A sort of quid pro quo. I also think the water sewer dept is part of a bigger scheme to move money to the general fund to make ends meet during the last quarter every year. I also think it is a revenue source for special projects. When you see unions supporting a republican mayor grab your wallet.
The best Republican Mayor this City has ever seen is Frank McDonald, Jr.
I agree, probably the last mayor that really had a feel for the people of Evansville.
Any news on the City $1 million lawsuit against the McCurdy?
Perhaps most of us have forgotten that originally this Administration presented to the EPA a proposal to spend $595,000,000 on the CSO resolution based on an affordability study. Some in this Administration thought that the EPA’s intellectual levels were on parallel with lab monkeys but to their amazement they were called out . . .why . . .the administration’s study omitted the county residence’s household incomes . . .to add insult to injury, the administration’s hotshots used 2% of household incomes, not 2.5% as required parameters. Of course, this pissed off the EPA solidifying their hardcore stance in negotiations going forward. Now, this literally forced this Administration into accepting $700,000,000+ . .the injustice of the EPA using a fixed percentage is Evansville lags tremendously behind other communities in the midwest especially northern Indiana, i.e. Indy using the 2.5% means our citizens will have to dip into their necessary cost of living funds to pay for the basic necessity of life . . .WATER . . .Perhaps Evansville would be the wrong place to retire?
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