IS IT TRUE OCTOBER 13, 2015

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IS IT TRUE we have been told by political people in the know if Gail Riecken doesn’t beat Mayor Winnecke in the upcoming Mayoral election the Vanderburgh Democratic Party is all about finished for the next 8 to 12 years?  …if Riecken loses anyone running for State office better spend their time and money going to other areas of the State to look for Democratic votes?

IS IT TRUE when Mayor Winnecke announced that he will reappoint Police Chief Billy Bolin and Fire Chief Mike Connelly on for another term if he’s re-elected has garnered Gail Riecken some big votes from employees of both Departments?

IS IT TRUE after watching last nights City Council meeting it was obvious after listening to the proposed 2016 budget discussion between Councilman John Friend CPA and City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr has yielded an interesting evaluation of the two CPA’S?  … when it comes to budgetary analysis City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr, CPA is an intelligential light weight compared to City Councilman John Friend , CPA?

IS IT TRUE it is fact if City Controller Russ Lloyd  Jr was a Controller of a major Corporation in the private sector and allowed his 2015 budget to be overspent by $8 million dollars he would had been fired immediately?

IS IT TRUE we found Missy Mosby, Dr. Dan Adams and Jonathan Weavers asking City Council not to take a 1%  raise in 2016 laughable?  …the proposed 1% salary increase on City Council salary comes to a mere $200 a year?  …this is a sorry attempt for Mosby. Adams and Weaver to show the electorate that they are fiscal conservatives?  …we wonder why Mosby, Adams and Weaver didn’t recommend that Council delete the yearly expense of the $20,000 Cadillac Heathcare insurance package that get for serving as part-time City Council members?  …if they would had made that motion and it would had pass they would saved thee taxpayers a whopping $180,000 per year?

IS IT TRUE the following Council members voted against giving the 1% raise increase to City Council in 2016 were Dr .Dan Adams, Missy Mosby, Connie Robinson,  Jonathan Weaver? …there is nothing like watching re-election political games in the names of conservatives values?  …we want to thank the above Council persons for saving the tax[payers a whooping $1,800 a year?

IS IT TRUE the most liberal member of  City Council Dan McGinn: announced “he would be more than happy to raise local option income tax 0.25% to help pay for public safety.”  …Missy Mosby stated that she would be most happy to meet with McGinn to discuss this issue?  …it looks like we may have a future raise the local option income tax summit in the works between McGinn, Mosby and Weaver?  …thats a scary thought for the taxpayers to digest?

IS IT TRUE that 2nd Ward Councilwomen Missy Mosby made the motion to give all city employees a 1% raise for 2016? …City Council members voted to give a 1% pay increase to city employees passed  by a 6 to 3 vote?  …this the following Council members voted “yes”; “Dan McGinn,  Missy Mosby , Connie Robinson, Evansville Firefighter Al Lindsey,  Dr. Dan Adams and Jonathan Weaver?   …. voting “no” were Brinkerhoff-Riley  ,  John Friend,  CPA and Conner O’Daniel?  …its important to point out that Council members voting for this increase caused the 2016 City budget to increase by over $600,000?

IS IT TRUE we wonder if the out going 6th Ward City Council member Al Lindsey may have a conflict in voting for the 1% pay increase for city employees since he is currently employed as an Evansville Firefighter?

IS IT TRUE voting for  Mayor Winnecke over inflated 2016 budget were;  Dan McGinn,  Missy Mosby ,  Jonathan Weaver,  Dr. Dan Adams?  …voting against Mayor Winnecke proposed 2016 budget were;  Conner O’Daniel,  John Friend, Connie Robinson,  Al Lindsey and Brinkerhoff-Riley?

IS IT TRUE we urge you to start reading articles in our new SPORTS section at the bottom right side of our publication? ,,,please view our extremely interesting daily Political Cartoons posted at the bottom of this publication?

IS IT TRUE that todays “Readers Poll” states;  If Mayor Winnecke is re-elected will it  have a negative effect on future of the local Democratic party?

The City-County Observer is excited to announce that our annual CCO “OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD” luncheon for 2015.will be held on October 26, 2015 at Tropicana-Evansville Walnut rooms A and B.? …this years winners of the “Outstanding Community Services Awards” are: Vanderburgh County Commissioner Joe Kifer, well respected local attorney Joe Harrison, Jr, Indiana State Auditor Suzanne Crouch and former Vanderburgh County Sheriff and 8th District Congressmen Brad Ellsworth, Dr. Dan Adams, Dr Steven Becker MD, Tracy Zeller-President of Tracy Zeller Jewelry Holly Dunn-National Movation Speaker on Domestic Violence, Cheryl Musgrave who currently sits on the Vanderburgh County Board of Zoning Appeals and also is a Commissioner on the Evansville Redevelopment Commission and Betty Hermann?

Registration begins at 11:30 am, the event officially starts at 12 noon on October 26, 2015? Deadline for registration is October 20, 2015? The last five (5) events were sellouts. The program will begin at noon on October 26, 2015. Reservations for this event may be made by calling Mollie Darke Schreiber at 812-760-4233 of via email at mdarke07@yahoo.com.

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18 COMMENTS

  1. is it true it’s probably time for any sane person to get out of Evansville and probably Vanderburgh County? Even if Gail wins, and I hope she does, the changing makeup of the Council bodes no good.

  2. Re: prospect of Al Lindsey having a conflict over voting for a pay increase because he is a firefighter . . . .

    Aren’t the Firemen part of a bargaining group/they have a contract with the City which describes their pay ?

    The Police have a bargained contract with the City–which includes such bennies as minimum retention levels of officers. Does the EPD really share in an across-the-board increase ?

    • Green_Light, you are correct that bargaining unit pay increases are determined by contract negotiations. As far as I know, any ‘across the boards’ payraises being discussed in the general budget apply to non union employees only. I think EFD has 4-5 non-sworn administrative employees who not represented by the contract with Local 357. This number does NOT include the Fire Chief and Asst. Chief, both of whom are sworn personnel, but NOT represented by Local 357 as far as contract salary due to their administrative. The Chief and Asst. Chief’s salaries are set by the City Council, so I presume they would be effected by any ‘across the boards’ raises. Don’t take that as gospel on my part, but I’m pretty sure that’s the case.

      TL/DR: Capt. Lindsey’s EFD salary is not effected by any across the boards payraises enacted by the city council for non bargaining unit employees.

      • I do not really care who represents councilman lindsey, he still fall under the heading of city employee. If memory serves, I believe he has abstained from voting on contract issues in the past. IMHO I think he should do so also do that where his fellow city employees are concerned.

        At the very least, by voting to raise salaries, he makes it more likely the union negotiators will point to the past salary increases when the contract comes up again. He is either a city employee or he is not. I maintain he is.

        • Correct me if I am wrong (nicely :)) but the City Council as a whole fall under the heading of City Employee therefore none of them should be voting on a salary raise? Just because Al Lindsey is also a Firefighter, this does not single him out in any way. All city elected officials are City Employees!

          • They are “elected” office holders with specified terms in office, not employees. I do think it is disgraceful that some of these part time office holders on the council and on the school board are covered by taxpayer paid healthcare.

        • Fair enough. I understood the implication of today’s IIT to be that Al’s job as a firefighter should preclude him from voting on pay increases for city personnel because his salary would be effected. That is not the case as far as the money he earns from the EFD.

          And take it from somebody who knows, during contract negotiations (on the public safety side, at least) ‘pointing out’ that somebody else with the city got a raise carries about as much weight as a hummingbird…. 🙂

  3. Question: will Gail Riecken break out the HAMMER, and run some ads re: the contents of the secret recording of the exit conference by SBR? The part about the State auditors laughing at Winnecke re: his question of aren’t we reconciling monthly would be primo . . . come on Gail, play to win !

    • That is exactly what we need – an honest opinion – and simple enough everyone can understand. The SBOA should have a page with a cartoon and everyone laughing in Evansville’s report instead of page after page of rhetoric declaiming any responsibility for what the city put in the report. Also in the notes where the SBOA said the various funds needed to corrected by millions and the city simply said they weren’t going to do it – there should have been a cartoon of what should happen in such cases – public uprising with the controller being burned at the stake or buried in an ant hill. The report might be worth the expense with illustration.

  4. I like the fact that Connie Robinson had the will to vote AGAINST the budget. Maybe this election she will keep her many supporters in the (D) camp–and not cross over to vote for LW like they did against Rick Davis.

    Come on Connie, do the right thing !

  5. So what is a real revenue expectation for the City of Evansville next year? If the Council and the Mayor can agree on how much money is coming in based on reality, forming a budget should follow easily. The practice of intentionally overestimating revenue and acting shocked when it comes up short needs to end. Allowing unrealistic revenue projections to influence budgets is a path to a death spiral.

    • There is real revenue coming. It is called, “with the support of both sides of the aisle in City Council, Mayor Winnecke announced today local taxes are rising by 25% to solve ongoing budgetary issues.”

      This was tipped several weeks ago – in the full sunlight, mind you – and the Riecken campaign will NOT go after Winnecke for it. Strategic error.
      Voters care about their taxes going up more than any other issue. It was a gift.
      But the Riecken campaign will not pick this up and drive it home to close the campaign.

      • ….oh, and with “Yes, it was discussed before the election.” This way, it can be pointed to that it wasn’t a surprise. Seriously, why isn’t the Riecken campaign driving this home to close out the election? Bandana?

  6. When did throwing more money at “public safety” become a priority in Evansville? Certainly improvements should always be the goal, but I believe that what is really lacking is leadership. If the department can not supply the needed leadership, then it may be necessary to go outside the department for that leadership.

  7. I was under the impression that Indiana statute prohibited a council member from voting on issues where they had a clear “conflict of interest”.

    40 IAC 2-1-4
    Definitions:
    “pecuniary interest”

    It looks like the vote does not count and must be ignored.

  9. IS IT TRUE it is fact if City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr was a Controller of a major Corporation in the private sector and allowed his 2015 budget to be overspent by $8 million dollars he would had been fired immediately?

    Russ Lloyd Jr. was almost as incompetent of a turd for a Mayor as Winnecke. Just not as sneaky. Hell, Russ Jr. couldn’t balance a cash register at a 7-Eleven.

Comments are closed.