This past week Mayor Winnecke gave his State of the City Address. As usual, there was a great delivery, and he was very positive. One gets the feeling everything is fine in River City. However, the facts are at odds with the Mayor’s claim our city is “fiscally strong.â€
And it isn’t just me. Mayor Winnecke’s City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr. reported there are problems with city finances (See Langhorne, Thomas Lines Drawn in the Sand over City Fund Transfers, Evansville Courier and Press, 31 January 2015). Despite the Mayor’s cheerful spin, Russ Lloyd Jr says that the city’s cash balances are declining.
Evansville Redevelopment Commissioner and fellow Republican Cheryl Musgrave agrees with her statement “there are real problems with the finances†(See Evans, Zach. Strong City Finances? Not necessarily, some say, Evansville Courier and Press, 24 February 2015).
Far from accepting the challenge to answer these concerns of a negative trend in our finances, the Mayor has continued over the last three years to overspend his operational funds on a monthly basis. In 2012, the administration spent more than it took in by $6.8 million dollars. In 2013, it was $7.1 million dollars, and although it’s not yet official, 2014 will show $7.4 million dollars in overspending.
How can the Mayor claim the strong finances when, under his leadership, our city’s cash balances have declined so rapidly?
The Mayor’s answer to his overspending is just as troubling. City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr. said recently, “We’re paying bills out of the general fund and using other accounts to offset it…†(See Lines Drawn in the Sand over City Fund Transfers).
Mayors have transferred funds before to cover expenses, but they make sure that expenditures don’t exceed revenue by controlling spending. As early as last July the Administration said they were designing a spending plan. Where is that plan today?
The administration’s lack of transparency and poor planning has effected economic development in Evansville. The prime example is the downtown hotel. This project suffered from poor planning from the start. As the Mayor admitted in his speech, the hotel project first stumbled over geotechnical issues due to his proposed site location. There were additional problems with private partner financing and bids for construction that were nearly $13 million more than what was budgeted. The Mayor’s office led the community through a symbolic groundbreaking in March of 2014 and followed that with press release after press release that the real groundbreaking was just weeks away.
All of this happened before we were finally told in December of 2014 by the Mayor that the project “cannot move forward†(Martin, John, Winnecke: City cannot move forward on current hotel deal, Evansville Courier and Press, 18 December 2014). The poor planning and a lack of transparency cost city residents and development partners $1.6 million as of September 30, 2014 with more bills to come.
Poor planning and a lack of transparency led to the downtown hotel project as originally proposed by this Mayor failing. The public endured yet another attempt to build a hotel that lasted eighteen months with over half of that time spent assuring the public that the project was about to start. When it failed, the City Council was blamed despite the Mayor agreeing in September of 2013 that a $20 million bond was sufficient for the project.
As Mayor, I will always be forthright about our challenges, and engage the community at every opportunity with the truth. As I’ve done as State Representative, I will continue to ask people their opinion and even more so when we disagree. I want to serve the community, not blame others. I will always take responsibility for the actions of my administration.
Given the Mayor’s lack of leadership on the hotel project, I am concerned that he is celebrating too early on the funding allotted by the state legislature for the transformative project proposed as the IU/UE/USI/Ivy Tech medical campus. The Mayor talked a lot about his recent meetings with the Governor where he asked for funding for the project, but the Governor’s budget fails to provide enough money to complete the project as envisioned. I offered an amendment within the Ways & Means Committee to fully fund the project and did not get Republican support.
Like with the hotel, the Mayor is holding celebrations before getting enough funding and will be satisfied with less than what our community wants and needs. Without the funding, these projects don’t get done, and without getting done they can’t bring jobs and development to Evansville.
We cannot afford four more years of Mayor Winnecke’s reckless spending, poor planning, and lack of transparency. This administration fails to understand that words and press conferences are not enough to pay our bills. The Mayor is blind to our current financial struggles and therefore cannot offer a solution.
I know that you are worried about our spending and our recent failures to complete important projects. I hear your concerns and will continue to be your voice. As Mayor, I will be a good steward of your tax dollars while we all dare to dream of what this community can achieve.
Gail Riecken
IN State Representative and Candidate for Mayor
As a lifelong Republican, I cannot believe I am going to be voting for a Democratic mayor. Many Republicans, like myself, just can’t support Winnecke anymore. He doesn’t understand numbers or finish projects. The finances have become so bad it leaves one to believe he doesn’t care or is stupid.
Add to that, the spiteful and hateful messages (I assume Steve Schafer) writes on the “Friends of Winnecke” page, he lost my money, support, and vote.
After his state of the city, the audience was talking amongst themselves; generally discussing the fairytale address he gave.
What did the mayor spend it on? We’re talking 21 million dollars in 3 years with nothing to show for it. Did this money simply vanish or is the mayor paying bills accumulated by 8 years of democrat domination in this fine river city. Do we have more people on the payroll than we can support? A lot of questions here? Where did the money go? Gail I think what we have here old partisan politics, if you happen to win I’m sure you will find the 21 million dollars in your first week in office. How about a little honesty/transparency here. I think you know exactly where the 21 million dollars is at, if you don’t ask SBR.
Commas man! She should or shouldn’t ask SBR?
OK, but what are you going to do Gail? You offer nothing but platitudes, and despite saying you wouldn’t blame others, you just blamed Republicans because your full funding bill did not find support.
It’s a good question. To add to your question, Democratic leadership led to the morass the city finds itself in. And Gail is another Democratic leader. What’s different this time? Is it not reasonable that Gail for Mayor isn’t just more politics as usual? (Good question I-E…the first part of your question is exactly the question that needs to be asked. The answer can’t be a traditional response.)
….and this feels like Gail’s campaign slogan is little more than, “I’m not Winnecke the Republican. I’m a Democrat. So you can vote for me.” I mean, the city’s finances were struggling before Winnecke…this is not a new problem unique to Winnecke.
A lot of people seem to believe she wouldn’t be worse. I think she will be the same but unchecked.
Had trouble accessing the site all day . . . .
I believe Gail has fairly called out the current administration on:
Excess Spending
Poor Planning
Lack of Transparency
These are not platitudes. Ms. Riecken has cited specifics, and even documented her sources of information, which is a refreshing touch.
If Ms. Riecken sticks to the facts, as she has done here, she gets the votes of my entire family.
I like most had all ready figured out what was wrong with Winnecke, but what will Gail do? “As Mayor, I will always be forthright about our challenges, and engage the community at every opportunity with the truth. As I’ve done as State Representative, I will continue to ask people their opinion and even more so when we disagree. I want to serve the community, not blame others. I will always take responsibility for the actions of my administration.” Those are meaningless platitudes made worse by the fact that as senator she didn’t listen but fled to Urbana. But I could overlook that because I looked into Winnecke’s eyes when he was living about the hotel deal if she had any real plan to offer. As it is I believe we will see the same spending and projects with a Democrat CC throwing money to Gail like confetti.
You going into the booth with them?
Yes, figuratively speaking
I would say we have to remember that this was a response to Winnecke’s state of the city address not Riecken’s entire platform. And I think she responded pretty well, documenting with facts and quotes. We cannot say what the future will bring. Let it happen and see what unfolds. Let’s see who says what in future speeches and statements. This should be a very interesting and informative election campaign. I am sure we will learn a lot about the city that we do not know and about the character of the candidates that we need to know.
I am as anti drug … as anyone you will encounter but
after reading the mayor’s State Of The City
I couldn’t help but say to myself
“I want some of what he’s on!” …
I am no fan of Lloyd Winnecke’s performance in office, but one has to be honest enough to admit what he inherited on the day he took the oath.
The spending that Gail laments has taken place in this administration pales by comparison to Mayor Weinzapfel’s. Mayor Weinzapfel was able to slide out the door before the payments began. Where was Gail Riecken when all that spending was going on? Where was Gail Riecken when the Weinzapfel administration was violating state statute for financial reporting for a year and a half?
More importantly, where will Gail Riecken be on spending, should she become mayor? How about it Gail? For which of the projects, that Mayor Winnecke currently has on the table, are you going to kill the funding? Lets be specific here.
Winecke is attempting to borrow $135 million in his term. It would have been $165 million plus a $5 million giveaway to Earthcare if the City Council wouldn’t have stepped in. Weinzapfel borrowed $127 million.
It was a CC member who brought earthcare to the mayors attention early on. As with most politicians, they are fearful of offending minorities and end doing things against their better judgement. Earthcare was a done deal until SBR slammed the CC with facts. That was the start of her fall from grace. When you take a look at the makeup of the CC it makes one want to question our higher education system. We have a doctor, 3 lawyers, an accountant, a fireman and 2 realtors and a I don’t know what. And they voted for earthcare. I think if Gail had of been mayor at that time Earthcare would have been given the full 5 million. What was it that made SBR so brave at that point in time and since disappeared.
I’m getting a bottle of soda and a bag of popcorn. This election is going to be more fun and more full of s#^t than a local wrestling match.
Comments are closed.