Connie,
There has been some confusion regarding our supposedly increase in the City Council budget. Obviously, there are some on council that do not have the proper knowledge in interpreting the sources of our funding. In order to properly interpret  our budget, one has to derive the total funding from two locations. The first is Fund 4 account number 1011401 and second is fund 907 account number 4745801. For everyone convenience, I have attached copies of those sources. As such, please note that account 1011401 for 2013 was $476,163 and account 4745801 for 2013 was $125,500, totaling $601,663 for 2013.  In review of the 2014 budget, account 1011401 for 2014 is $583,091.60 and account 4745801 for 2014 is now only $15,000, totaling $598,091.60 for 2014.
Now, I assume that everybody can do this simple math problems: $598,091.60, total budget for 2014 less $601,663.00 total budget for 2013 = $-3,571.40 Divided by $601,663.00 total for 2013 = .59% decline in our budget for 2014. So, if anybody voted against the overall budget due to an alleged 22% increase, please consult the finance chair prior to the vote next time.  As I recall, I made it a point to contact each and everyone of you the Monday afternoon before council  asking  if you had any concerns and nothing about our supposedly increase in the City Council budget was mentioned. I regret if any  of your constituents were mislead by not understanding the proper sources of our budget.
Why the administration chose to confuse the issue by transferring the normal funding from account 4745801 to 1011401 and the result, confusion to the masses, only they can answer.
In the future, please do not hesitate to consult with me regarding any aspect of our budget.
John Friend, CPA
5th Ward City Council Member and Budget Chairman
Click below to open budget  documents  then you may print it out for review:
City Council Budget – 2014 copy 2
POSTED BY CITY COUNTY OBSERVER WITHOUT BIAS, OPINION AND OR EDITING
“Now, I assume that everybody can do this simple math problems…”
You know what they say about assumptions, right?
Did Mosby & Weaver get confused again?
Hope you are on the State Board’s you know what to do a proper audit of the City. It’s rumored that all involved this year aren’t a CPA.
Simple math is great! Thank you Councilman Friend.
The Administration must be dizzy from all the spinning. If it goes on too long, the person doing the spinning can suffer brain damage, you know!
The council is a disgrace. With that said, I also do not like Friend’s tone in his letters. He is always condescending. That’s not a way to work with people. That’s not the way to treat other council members, even if they are dummies. Friend is trying to position himself to run for mayor by distancing himself and belittling the council. I don’t see his tactics as honorable, to say the least.
If Friend runs for mayor and wins the primary, he will split the local Democratic party even further.
Exactly what Wayne is hoping for! 😉
JMHO
Blanger: You are a mind reader!
Is it true… that the local Democrats had to beg to find a new party leader? Do you know how many people they asked? Everyone was afraid they would have to be the guy that supports Friend, Weaver, or another Davis crazy.
As much as the locals like to whine and cry about Winnecke, I think the Democrats are going to be supporting him again.
And Wayne, don’t give yourself any of this credit. The Democrats are the ones who got Winnecke elected, not the Republicans.
A lot of Democrats did support the best Candidate, Lloyd Winnecke.
My primary job is to find good candidates and help them get elected. I am thankful for whomever votes for these candidates. I fully recognize in Evansville a lot of Democrats and/or Independents who want the best for for Evansville need to support the Republican candidate for he/she to win.
If the election were held today, the City Council Democrat “Gang of Six” would be in serious trouble in getting re-elected. It has been umpteen years since the Republicans held a majority on City Council.
I welcome any advise you might have for me on how to do my job better as Chairman.
No Wayne a lot of dumb ass Democrats supported the wrong one Lloyd Winnecke. Davis would have been a lot better.
“I welcome any advise you might have for me on how to do my job better as Chairman.”
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Forget the mayors race, if it happens that Mr Winnecke is reelected so be it, the odds are not in his favor but “hail mary” events do happen.
Concentrate on taking over the city council this is where the pubs can do the most good by controlling the council it matters little who is in the mayors seat.
Either way it will be a uphill battle since the dems are so entrenched in local politics, and as we all know if they had chosen to back their candidate we would have a Democrat in the mayors office.
Your success is totally dependent on “who” wins the democratic primary and if the party chooses to get behind that candidate, but there are races for council seats that with the right republican candidate could be easily won like my ward, but whoever you run you and the party have to back them 100% and throw all of your resources at making it happen or else you and the party will be a failure.
Do not look at holding the mayors office as the prize, it is not because your party can not win that election without the support of the other party, you need to strike at the base to further weaken the Democrats by taking council seats in a big way, only after that happens can the pubs return to power here in Evansville.
Think back to Lloyd Sr days and what made the Republican party such a power house back in the 70’s it can happen again and the time is right you just need good candidates with a strong message of change and a plan to make it happen.
You need to help people understand that for change to happen they need to get out and vote, apathy is the biggest problem we face in every election and is basically why we have a lot of lackluster types who get reelected over and over, you need to work very hard to change this by giving the voters bright people with sound judgement who aren’t part of the ‘ol boys club.
Hope this helps but of course it is JMHO
Not sure if this is the way, but, one thing is for sure, this administration and the two minions on council with the assistance of Mr. Ethridge and Eyewitness News have spin story after story misleading the public. So, if you divide $598,000 [the 2014 City Council budget] by $602,000 [the 2013 City Council budget] how do you arrive at 22%, even a moron can figure this one…let see how about 99.39%???
There should be great interest in the findings of the State Board of Accounts audit of The City of Evansville.
Everyone should care about Government Accounting Standards, and that those standards are followed to the letter. The SBOA has only an audit function, it is up to you, the reader, to insure the enforcement function is carried out when statute and GAS guidelines are violated.
___
My good friend…
Reliable sources indicate that the SBOA is not happy campers…those sources indicated that the field work was originally scheduled to be completed by Nov 1 and other sources within the Administration indicate that information is slow coming to the auditors and this has created a viagra moment for those directly involved. As a result, this excise will continue until we toast the new year…we wonder how does the bond rating agencies feel about audited reports with so much hair on the fringes.
John–
Is it true when you compare budget spending 2012 with 2013— you are up 29%?
First it was the council gave themselves a raise, now it’s the entire budget is raised? Are you counting the EPA sewer mandates in your figure?
If you compare 2013 budget to 2012 actual spend, City Council spending is up 29%.
The EPA mandates have nothing to do with City Council budget, although they approved the rate increase. The EPA mandates mainly fall on the Evansville Sewer Utility and to a lesser extent the Evansville Water Utility. Ratepayers will pay for EPA mandates.
My dear Wayne…if the 2013 city council budget as listed in fund 4 account 1011401 combine with fund 907 account 4745801 named Local Option income tax equals 602,000 for 2013 and the same accounts for 2014 total $598,000 how in the hell do you come up with 29%…
Now, what we really want to know is how does some anonymous donor gives $10,000 and a republican party official improperly records the transaction and the funds windup in one of the republican elected officials coffers while the treasurer-attorney for the party decides to voluntarily step down do to the alleged impropriety and reports the transaction to the state election commission…question, should the prosecutor be notified? So, forget about the simple math, be more concerns about legalities. Have a nice nite!!!
dancinwithwolves: You are wrong on both of your points.
You are not reading carefully what I said. If you compare 2013 budget to 2012 actual spend, City Council spending is up 29%. Note that my statement is a comparison to actual 2012 expenditures.
2nd point: There was no $10,000 anonymous donation. It would be against the law to not report a donation of that size. All contributions to the Vanderburgh County Republican Party were properly reported to the proper officials.
Another internal message leaked by Chairman Friend. To think that he wanted Rick Huffman’s personal tax returns. John Friend holds water like a sieve.
Dude, this is his own letter. He has every right to disseminate it. It’s a major leap CCing in a journalist on an email you wrote and disseminating someone’s personal tax information.
That was all scare tactics brought on by a weak intellectual position.
You asked for this to be reported and it was-straight from the budget finance chair himself. Now you’re running off on some other wild tangent about Friend’s own emails. And you say those on here are the ones who just want to complain? Pot meet kettle.
Hey, Dude…My sources indicated that Friend made damn sure the news outfits received the information to counter the propaganda of the “in the tank” news media for the Winnecke-Nixon Administration. In regards to Huffman’s financial information, Huffman refused to allow a third party reputable CPA firm to review…only in Evansville do we seem to have the Earthcare, the Propeller outfits of the world show up on our door step…the 200k to Earthcare, gone!!! the $179k to the Propeller outfit, gone!!! So, our knew name is Suckerville??? So, Phyllip, would you like some kool-aid???
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