IS IT TRUE September 23, 2015

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IS IT TRUE that the following political candidates either declined the invitation or didn’t respond to the invitation to attend the “CALL TO ASSEMBLE”  gathering hosted by the local Vanderburgh  County Veterans Council. …that political candidates Not Coming to this event are: Mayor Winnecke and Dan MsGinn?  …that political candidates NOT RESPONDING  to the invitation to attend this event are:  City Clerk Laura Windhurst,  2nd Ward City Council member Missy Mosby,  At-Large City Council member Jonathan Weaver,  5th Ward City Council candidates Justin Elpers and Thomas Shoulders and 6th Ward City Council candidate Jim Brinkmeyer ?  …we hope our local Veterans will remember that the above political people snub their noses at them by not attending tonights Veterans hosted “CALL TO ASSEMBLE” event?

IS IT TRUE the Commander of the local Vanderburgh Veterans Council called a news conference to update members of the Main Stream Media so he could provide them with details of the agenda concerning the “CALL TO ASSEMBLE” event? …not one representative of the local Main Stream Media showed up for this news conference?  …its important to remind members of the Main Stream Media when the people called on our Veterans “TO ASSEMBLE” on our behalf they showed up and fought the battles that insure our freedoms we enjoy today?  …its obvious if any of the Main Stream Media reporters would have had the honor to served in the military they would had been more respectful towards covering this event hosted by our local Veterans group? …that tonights “CALL TO ASSEMBLE” political Question/Answers forum shall go on without the help of our local Main Stream Media ?

 IS IT TRUE we are extremely disappointed that Evansville newest TV Channel 44 didn’t show up to cover the “CALL TO ASSEMBLE” news conference?  …it looks like Channel 44 may have broken their promise to the people of Evansville that shall do an “outstanding job” in reporting the local news?

IS IT TRUE that the issue of expanding the Brownfields land banking operation is as the COURIER and PRESS says “hanging fire”, but not because of the funding issue but the concept itself and the proposed partner in crime–the Brownfields Corp?  …that land banking should not be the cities only focus to solve the Community Blight  problem?   …that the Brownfields has lost its primary funding source, HUD funds, because it was discovered that their land banking operating over the last five years was not an authorized use of HUD funds, and they are now left high and dry?

IS IT TRUE that the Courier and Press is correct that the city was allocated about $2.2 million in funding from the Indiana Hardest Hit Blight Elimination Program (BEP) in 2014, but misleads the public in the facts of the program? That the program, although a federal program, was launched with a simple contract between the US department of Treasury and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) almost three years ago that stated simply that the funds were to Demolish vacant, abandoned, homes in the communities affected by the housing crisis? That language was specific that red tape was to be avoided? That most of the red tape has been created by the people administering the funding?

IS IT TRUE that the DMD originally planned to take all the BEP funding to expand their HUD funded land bank – the Brownfields?  That the original demolition property list of almost 2 years ago consisted of their properties and of the tax sale properties they planned to acquire?  That substitutions were made to include a few other non-profits as program participants?  That a large substitution was made to clear all the homes in the new d-pat location – even though they were not blighted, vacant, or abandoned before the decision for d-pat to move there?

IS IT TRUE the city of Evansville, along with other cities, is having trouble meeting the “stringent deadlines” as the Courier and Press says because they got off to a bad start trying to focus the money on their own special interest and questionable activity rather than moving forward with the true intent and purpose of the funding?

IS IT TRUE that receiving the $2.2 million award from the state actually resulted in fewer Demolitions of Zombie houses?  That because city officials heard this money was coming they cut the amount appropriated annually in the Riverboat Fund from $1millon to $500,000 and then proceeded to spend the $500,000 on city operations rather than demolitions?  …we recommend that read George Lumley’s article “How More Is Less?” that was previously featured articles of this publication.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

29 COMMENTS

  1. BREAKING NEWS: Courier & Press Wednesday, 9-23-15:

    pg. 10A, ‘Commentary: Council handcuffing mayor, city staff’
    By: Jack Schriber

    3rd paragraph: ” The City of Evansville has approximately $ 145 Million on hand, INCLUDING $ 52 Million IN THE GENERAL FUND”.

    Wow, Jack, will you take that $ 52 Million down to the front steps of the Civic Center and count it out for us peasants ? WE DON’T BELIEVE YOU !

    CCO: please reprint the article from last week in which Friend showed the numbers as of July 31, 2015 compared to the same date in 2014 . . . . I believe Jack has been caught in the big lie !

  2. CCO: please repost ‘Breaking News: Evansville Ranks in Lower 8 Percentile . . . .’ from September 18, 2015.

    In the analysis that followed that article, the City had a NEGATIVE General Fund of $ -9,694,000 at 7-31-15, compared to the positive $ 52,000,000 claimed by Jack Schriber in this morning’s paper. Total Cash for the City was $ 48 Million from that report compared to Schriber’s claim of $ 145 Million this morning.

    • Green_light

      Just did. It was reposted to come back up on September 25, 15.

      Thanks for reading the CCO.
      Editor

      • @Admin, thanks. I would love to see Friend write a rebuttal to the lies printed by Schriber in this morning’s paper . . .. .

    • Figures never lie, but lairs can sure figure. Someone has to be in that lower 8% and I am sure every city is doing its best. This must be an example of brain drain effects on what we have left for city leadership. Only solution is to give raises and cut out all other expenses. No pencils, no paper, just people.

  3. Chapter 3.70
    RAINY DAY FUND

    Sections:

    3.70.010 Rainy Day Fund.

    (A) Establishment of Fund. There is hereby established a Rainy Day Fund pursuant to IC 36-1-8-5.1.

    (B) Purpose of Fund. The fund is established in order to set aside monies from the normal operating budget of the City that can be used to meet unanticipated expenses that cannot be funded from existing appropriations, to meet cash flow needs between biannual distributions of property tax receipts and other periodic revenue distributions, and for bridging a gap caused by an unexpected revenue shortfall or significant delay in receiving revenue.

    (C) Source of Revenues. The fund may receive transfers of unused and unencumbered funds from any fund for which the City imposes a property tax levy, from any supplemental COIT distribution received by the City, and from any other source allowed by the laws of the State of Indiana. The Rainy Day Fund is subject to the same appropriation process as other funds that receive tax money.

    (D) In any fiscal year, the City may transfer an amount not to exceed 10 percent of the political subdivision’s annual budget for that fiscal year to the Rainy Day Fund.

    (E) Expenditures from Fund. All expenditures from this fund shall be subject to appropriation by the City Council.

    (F) Amendment and Termination. The fund shall continue until amended or terminated by ordinance. Unless indicated otherwise by ordinance, the proceeds of the fund at termination shall be deposited into the General Fund. [Ord. G-2004-1, passed 4-14-04. 1983 Code § 3.30.300.]

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    CHAPTER 20
    MISCELLANEOUS GUIDELINES:

    RAINY DAY FUND

    A political subdivision may establish a rainy day fund to receive transfers of unused and unencumbered funds under IC 36-1-8-5. The fund should be established by resolution and the resolution should state the purposes and sources of funding for the fund.

    IC 36-1-8-5 states that whenever the purposes of a tax levy have been fulfilled and an unused and unencumbered balance remains in the fund, the governing body of a political subdivision shall order the balance of that fund to be transferred to the general fund or rainy day fund of the political subdivision, as provided in IC 36-1-8-5.1, unless a statute provides that it be transferred otherwise. Transfers to a political subdivision’s rainy day fund may be made at any time during the political subdivision’s fiscal year.

    IC 36-1-8-5.1 states that the rainy day fund is subject to the same appropriation process as other
    funds that receive tax money. Before making an appropriation from the rainy day fund, the governing body shall make a finding that the proposed use of the rainy day fund is consistent with the intent of the fund.

    If a political subdivision receives supplemental distributions of CAGIT under IC 6-3.5-1.1-21.1 or COIT under
    IC 6-3.5-6-17.3, such distributions must be receipted into the rainy day fund. The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance may not reduce the actual or maximum permissible levy of a political subdivision as a result of a balance in the rainy day fund of the political subdivision.

    • For GOD’S SAKE Pressanykey!!
      Can we stipulate that you can copy and paste w/ the best of them?
      Why don’t you just make your point?

      • If you had half a brain you would know my point. The transfers from Rainy Day to the General Fund are allowed. In fact, they can put the funds they have been putting into RD into the General Fund also.

        As for transfers from the “Riverboat Fund”, I have looked at the funds under Title 3 for the city and the county and can find no fund titled “Riverboat Fund”, so I have no idea as to whether a transfer from that “fund” to the General Fund in order to pay operating expenses is authorized.

  4. City Clerk candidate, Laura Windhorst and 6th Ward City Council candidate, Jim Brinkmeyer have not been involved with the community from day 1. Brinkmeyer did not even show up for the FOP Candidates Night. I guess he thinks he is too good to let those that put their lives on the line for us every single day know what he can do to help them. Brinkmeyer does not attend neighborhood association meetings or any other community gathering for the 6th Ward. Windhorst only won because she ran her opponents military status in the mud instead of running a clean race like her opponent did. The 6th Ward will go to sh** starting January 1, 2016 because they will not have a strong representation on the City Council, they will have a Mosby puppet. The City Clerk’s office will never be what it used to be with Windhorst as she is NOT a true leader, just a follower and will not stand up for what is RIGHT for the citizens of Evansville.

  5. It is true the use of HUD Brownfields funds (or any Brownfields funds) for the removal of “blighted homes” is a complete misuse of the funds and contrary to the purpose of the program.

    • It is true that the local system of using all resources for Brownfields and blighted Homes is broken in this city. This is not the only broken program. There is a collaboration of broken programs. That is why I started my personal “let’s fix that” crusade. Current focus Zombie houses. Example of what is broken: DMD said it would be too hard to get title to a zombie house for the BEP program. I volunteered to get look into it. It took me 3 days to get an accepted offer of $200 (two hundred) and an estimated two week time frame to close.

  6. Can anyone explain why Gail Riecken wont publicly request that Chairman Faukner remove Weaver from the local Democrat party?

    • This is exactly the type of plain talk on finances that the public should have been getting all along. Russ Lloyd needs to be producing annual CAFR reports so that taxpayers can track the finances of the city.

      I only wish Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Ril.ey was running in this mayoral race. She would win by a landslide!

  9. It will be a sad day for the people of our fair city if. Winnky ,our free spending mayor,is put in office for another 4 years. Wake up people VOTE GAIL REICKEN FOR MAYOR

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