We were informed yesterday evening that 4th Ward City Council member Connie Robinson has ask City Attorney Scott Danks to draw up a new city ordinance that shall restrict non-residents of the City of Evansville  from serving on future city appointed boards.  Attached below is a copy of the proposed city ordinance that Ms. Robinson would like for city council to consider approving in the near future.
Dear Council Members,
Please find attached Ordinance prepared at Councilwoman Robinson’s request.
Connie is inviting other members to be shown as sponsors if desired.
If you would like to be a sponsor for this Ordinance, please let me know by this Friday.
Thanks,
Scott Danks
ORDINANCE G-2014-30 INTRODUCED BY: ROBINSON
COMMITTEE: A.S.D.
AN ORDINANCE RESTRICTING ELIGIBILITY OF NON-RESIDENTS
OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA FROM SERVING ON GOVERNING OR ADVISORY BODIES.
WHEREAS, the Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana, finds it in the best interest of the citizens of Evansville, Indiana, to require all persons appointed by the Common Council or the Mayor serving on governing or advisory bodies to be residents of the City of Evansville, Indiana.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY ORDAINED by the Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana, that Chapter 2.195 is hereby created as follows:
All persons serving on any boards, committees, commissions, funds, corporations, board of directors, authorities, associations, or any other governing or advisory bodies shall be residents of the City of Evansville, Indiana, whether appointed by the Common Council or the Mayor unless otherwise provided by state statute.
EFFECTIVE DATE.
This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Common Council and signing by the Mayor and shall not affect any existing employees of the Evansville Fire Department.
Passed by the Common Council of Evansville, Indiana, on this ____ day of _______________, 2014, and on said day signed by the President of the Common Council and attested by the City Clerk.
_______________________________________
John Friend, President of the Common Council,
City of Evansville, Indiana
ATTEST: _______________________________
Laura Windhorst, City Clerk
City of Evansville, Indiana
Presented to me, the undersigned, City Clerk of the City of Evansville, Indiana, to the Mayor of said City, the ______ day of __________________, 2014, at _____________ o’clock ___.m. for his consideration and action thereon.
_______________________________________
Laura Windhorst, City Clerk
City of Evansville, Indiana
Having examined the foregoing Ordinance, I do now, as Mayor of the City of Evansville, Indiana, approve said Ordinance, and return same to the City Clerk this ______ day of _______________, 2014, at _____________ o’clock ___.m.
_______________________________________
Lloyd Winnecke, Mayor
City of Evansville, Indiana
“NON-RESIDENCE” or NON-RESIDENTS?
Thanks for the heads up Moonpup. Issue has been corrected.
EDITOR
I’m pretty sure Mr. Danks and CCO both mean “residents” instead of “residence”. There are some grammatical errors that computer programs just don’t catch and this appears to be one. I guess we don’t pay Mr. Danks well enough to have proofread ordinances submitted.
Hope Ms Robinson got the okay from organized labor!!! think she means, if you got live here, vote here, drivers license, either pay rent, or mortgage or homestead credit is here…Seems to most that individuals who live in places like Newburgh and determine how our money is spent should be considered ridiculous unless some feel we must go outside the city limits to get the intel…
Liquor,
Why would org labor care ? Do they have some ringers from Posey Co., Warrick Co, etc. on boards who vote for projects which benefit Labor ? Name names if you know them.
They know who they are….
There is always a few that appears organized labor is the root to all their problems!
I plan on sending a request for clarification on this.
Does this mean that a resident of Vanderburgh County who does not live inside the Evansville “city limits” will be prohibited from serving on appointed boards and commissions? If so, this is the biggest bunch of BS that has been authored in a long time. It is preposterous if someone who lives in Vanderburgh County is prevented from serving on a “city” board or commission. I would hazard a guess that the vast majority (maybe 80% or more) of the “city” boards makes decisions that affect county residents just as much.
This proposal is a load of crap!
The ordinance clearly refers to appointments by officials of the City of Evansville. I think it is a good idea to have the people inside the City Limits be represented by those who live inside the City Limits. People who live inside Vanderburgh County but outside of the City, will still be able to serve on the same bodies, but their appointments would come from County elected officials. There should probably be an ordinance covering that brought forth by County officials.
CORE made it clear that most people in Vanderburgh County do not want to be tied to Evansville. I respect that choice, but believe that the City should be represented by those who live here, and the County should be represented by those who live there.
Good plan, Councilwoman Robinson!
LKB, your comment is poorly worded. If a position is the county’s appointment, the person appointed should have to be a county resident.
When someone asks me whether I am a city resident or a county resident, I say I am both.
Your inference is that one is EITHER one or the other. NOT TRUE!
My representative on the county council does not represent any residents who live outside the city limits.
I also pay city and county taxes.
Be sure your words reflect your intentions, or maybe they do.
County government represents both sides of the city limits. Pogo, you are correct as being resident of both, as I am a county resident only. Your county councilman may be representing a “all city” district, but he/she is representing you at the county level, not as city resident, I too pay city taxes which is a little over 6% on the property bill!
The parks taxing district is county-wide. Property owners in the unconsolidated county pay parks tax. Therefore, in order that county-out taxpayers be duly represented, the mayor and the city council should ensure the ordinance does not exclude county-out taxpayers from appointment to the parks board.
County-out property owners pay a 35% surcharge for city sewage service. Maybe the ordinance should provide for a 35% greater representation on the utility board for county-out residents.
…. which calls to question the reach of Evansville Redevelopment Commission. Is it an “inside the city limits only” authority?
Boards that govern the city and the county have appointees from the Mayor, City Council, County Council and the County Commissioners. County residents are adequately represented. It’s city residents that are being ignored when City Council or the Mayor appoint people that do not live in the city.
Including the Parks Board, which spends tax money collected county-wide?
Of course, everybody knows that if we limit board members to those who resided in the city limits, then how in the hell do we expect to get any talent on those boards!!! It begs the question, why don’t we expand the intelligence pool, and allow people who live in the County, hell let’s expand to the surrounding counties, maybe Henderson, Owensboro, etc. and let those individuals run for City Council and even for Mayor….then we should be able to spend even more the the hard earned money of the taxpayers knowing that those individuals would give a crap for the debt being piled upon our kids and grandkids….
You’re apparently not familiar with where the City Limits are. There is an adequate supply of intelligent, educated people who live within the City Limits. Judging from your comment, I’d guess you live in the county. The superior attitude is pretty typical of County residents.
Do I fall in that “superior attitude” group too, Elkaybee?
No, of course you don’t. There are plenty of posters here who do think that living in the county makes them inherently superior just by virtue of where they reside, though.
This is choice ! You get apoplectic about others casting aspirations on your personally admired sects in society but can’t refrain from falling back into your old C&P habits of conjecture, speculation and supposition. Can we say “credibility out the window”? I think we can!
Well does this mean that she will soon be suggesting that the police and firemen that live outside the city limits move back to the city?
I think that issue has already been settled.
As apparently has the case of city councilmen who live outside the city.
Other good ideas would be:
1. Do what Bloomington does with contractors for the city. Where the bids are comparable the vendor located in the city is preferred.
2. Score applicants for city employment with added points for veterans and city residents.
3. Bid all service contracts (see #1) and do not allow vendors on the list for 24 months after the business or any of its principals makes a campaign donation to the Mayor.
How about any EVSC employee live in Vanderburgh Co??
This would have to be taken up by the School Board…
Maybe so, but city/county taxes pay the bills.
No, the cited taxes do not. The EVSC has its own tax rate.
It makes no difference. It is a county-wide agency and doesn’t have boards or commissions that are appointed by the Mayor or other partisan elected officials.
Why?
What does residency have to do with competence, character, or the willingness to perform honorably? …
Is this ordinance intended to disqualify someone for personal or political reasons? …
What does residency have to do with performance? …
It doesn’t has to do with performance, Bubba. It has to do with fair representation of interests.
And who pays the bills.
Why are we paying EPD to drive home to Degonia Springs every day?
(1) If you are a current employee of the Evansville Fire Department, it does not matter whether you live in the city or not. It does not matter who appointed you. Why does the ordinance specify this exception?
(2) I am not an attorney (would like to hear comment from someone who is), but it appears to me that the ordinance means that no non-resident (except current employees of the EFD) can serve on a board, commission etc. In other words, it does NOT add “unless appointed by a county representative”. Rather, it is written as if all such appointments are made either by City Council or Mayor. Is this true? Or do any representatives of County government make appointments to the boards, commissions, (etc.) covered under this ordinance (as I believe some have implied)?
Well stated. Agree completely
To Laura
Take a look at the number of Mayoral and City appointees versus County. It is NOT a fair division by a longshot. This ordinance is unfair and I would guess potentially unconstitutional. Wonder what AG Zoeller will say….
Take a look at the proportion of population inside the city, vs. outside city population. I think you’ll find the bulk of the revenue comes from inside the city, too. Therefore, those who live inside the city should have the most members on the boards and councils. I think the County Commissioners and County Council have appointments to certain boards.
AG Zoeller can say whatever he wants. It would not be up to him. It would go before a Judge.
Do the county council and county commissioners have appointments on the parks board? The parks taxing district is county-wide, dear.
Why tax the city out people for parks inside the city. Is that not Vandi Gov? Didn’t we vote down vandi gov several times now? Who got the county out residents taxed to pay for city parks. This is not right.
Does one section of the city with a higher population get move people from their district appointed to city boards? Is that fair to the other parts of the city? No. Neither is giving a certain section of the County a larger number of board appointees. Just saying.
The city found out that when they exempted the casino from the smoking ban ordinance that the “Judge” that Lara talks about above said that was unconstitutional. Actually there was more than just one judge making that decision.
The parks taxing district has been county-wide since Mike Vandeveer was mayor.
There is no such thing as “city out.” it’s generally referred to, shorthand, as “county-out” meaning the unincorporated parts of the county, but includes Darmstadt, which is incorporated, but not part of the City.
My suggestion regarding giving the county-out a 35% higher representation on the utilities board was intended as humor, not serious. Besides, last I knew there were two Darmstadt residents on the utility board anyway.
While she’s at it why not pass an ordinance that businesses owned by city officials can’t supply products to the city. Am I the only one that sees her position and her business as a major conflict of interest? That’s just the way it is I suppose.
Off point!
City official supplying products to city entities, is this correct Ghost? If it is, I’m on board with you. Do city employees have to bid these contracts? Could they just be given? Anyone who may bark against the idea may be a hit dog?
Oh I’m sure it’s bid out but I’d suspect the notice for bids is pretty quiet.
I think that any and all Professional Services supplied to the city or county should be required to be bid. I know of several people who run a Professional Service Business who get contracts with the city and county and don’t have any competition. Millions of dollars are being thrown to these people and the tax payers are getting screwed.
Take the Grey Hound Bus Terminal and it’s underground water contamination clean up. Who got the contract for that clean up and why didn’t the city or county or Government Environmental Lady not bid that project out to other environmental clean up companies. I mean public money was used to pay for that clean up so that they city could give the property away to a business of some sorts. Probably another friend of the Mayor again.
Think who’s the Vanderburgh County or City of Evansville, IN Brownfields Director? Some one that use to work for Peabody Coal Company. I think her name is Carol Rust or Rusk?
So you can’t name any names? Figures! Shout all you want as no one listens to your BS.
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