LETTER TO THE EDITOR FROM MARK ACKER CONCERNING CITY FINANCES

6

As has been reported, the Mayor’s says that we are in great financial shape.  So, why did Mayor Winnecke on December 29, 2014 run to the Utility Department, a separate and distinct entity from the City, robbing them of 2.5 million in order to balance the books of the city?

If we are in such great shape, would the Mayor not pay his bills to the point of $5.1 million of dollars which was carried over to this year?  If we are such great shape, why would on  June 30, 2015 the Health Care cost of $4 million dollars went unpaid?  And, if we are such great shape, why did the Mayor have to go to City Council requesting an $8 million dollar loan from the “Rainy Day and Riverboat Funds” to make city payroll?

Why is it until the City Council put a stop to the practice of reducing the Fire and Police Pensions of investment and deposit the excess into the checking account to make payrolls which ultimately would be paid to the retirees?  If we are in such great shape, why is  Mayor Winnecke nearly double the fees charged to the Water and Sewer Dept in this coming budget?  And add insult to injury,  when our Mayor was elected the office,  our debt was $397 million dollars and after three short years, it is now a whooping $515 million dollars.

In regards  to leases, when entered office, our lease obligations were approximately 600k and now after three short years they are nearly $1 million dollars and in this budget, the lease obligation are increased by $350k. How can this Mayor look us into our eyes and say, “We are in great financial shape”.

SINCERELY

MARK ACKER

EVANSVILLE

FOOTNOTES:  we urge you to start reading articles in our new SPORTS section at the bottom right side of our publication? ,,,don’t forget to view our extremely interesting Political Cartoons posted at the bottom of this publication?

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 via email at mdarke07@yahoo.com.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

6 COMMENTS

  1. It was the common council of San Bernardino, the city’s fiscal body, that failed the citizens of that city and allowed the city’s finances to devolve to the point where filing for protection from creditors was all that was left to them. The council members could make whatever sorry excuses they could come up with, but ultimately they failed in their duty to their office and in their duty to their citizens.

    The exchanges we are currently witnessing between the Evansville common council, the city’s fiscal body, and the city executive are to be encouraged and are a healthy and vital part of the process of local government. We need to quit thinking in terms of politics and party and individual personalities, and start emphasizing PUBLIC SERVICE and the common good.

  2. Borrowing from tomorrow,– to pay for today,– is going to catch up with Evansville at some point, and bring a once proud city to her knees.
    Winnecke’s game is fiscal insanity!

    • Borrowing for operating expenses, in San Bernardino’s case, to make payroll, was the straw that broke their back. It is time for the adults in Evansville to take over, kick the cronies to the curb, and start the real work of straightening out this city’s finances.

  3. Mr. Ackre, don’t you think it will all pay off in the long run? Won’t the spending make more millionaires and that has to be good for Evansville. We need a strong down town and Haney’s corner district to attract the new talent that will occupy $200,000 dollar homes and high rent apartments. DMD and the Building Commission will eliminated the lesser valued neighbor hoods by letting the weeds and Zombie houses take over to the point that the fixed income people will voluntarily move to Henderson and Evansville will be the new Mecca for the Millennials. In ten or twenty years all the tax incentives will expire and with the new tax revenue and reduced Debt (from the city bankruptcy) Evansville will be a great place for the new people living here.

  4. Good letter, Mark! I support Gail Riecken because she has a stronger record as a true public servant and voice for the voiceless than Lloyd Winnecke ever dreamed of. I have been a Democrat for many years now, but my vote will be cast for the best candidate, who just happens to be a Democrat.

Comments are closed.