John Friend does it again! First two time CCO Mole Award Winner

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Councilman John Friend, CPA: The man whose petition started the movement that led to teh NO VOTE for the Vectren fee

City Councilman John E. Friend, CPA is the 5th and final person selected by the City County Observer to be honored with a MOLE AWARD for 2012. Councilman Friend is being honored for his diligence during the last several years in calling for an audit of the IT Department of the City of Evansville and for calling for accountability in local government. Councilman Friend also provided much advice from a financial perspective to first time MOLE AWARD winner Councilwoman Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley.

Councilman Friend was graduated from the Indiana State University School of Liberal Arts with a degree in Economics and from the School of Business with a degree in Accounting. Friend has achieved much in his career including accreditations as a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Valuation Analyst, and as a Chartered Global Management Accountant, affiliated with the AICPA.

Councilman Friend is a member of the American Institution of Certified Public Accountants, the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, the Indiana CPA Society and has served as the Vice Chairman of the Leadership Council of the National Association of Independent Business

He serves currently as the President of John Friend & Company, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants- Friend Financial Group.

John Friend serves on the City Council of Evansville, IN as its Finance Chairman, is a Board Member of the Southwestern Indiana Regional Council on Aging, and as a Board Member of the Evansville Museum where he has been the Treasurer and a Levy Board Member

Councilman Friend is married to Marty Friend, has three children, four grandchildren and is a member of the Oak Hill Bible Fellowship Church.

It is with great pride that we honor Councilman Friend with his second Mole Award.

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12 COMMENTS

  1. Didn’t this dude just vote to pass the 2013 budget with Roberts demo included? Why didn’t he join his three colleagues Lindsay, Adams and Riley in voting against passage?

  2. How can this newspaper praise this man and give him an award? He is the Finance Chair of the financial body of the City of Evansville. He has conducted budget hearings two years in a row without the correct figures as to what the City’s budget actually is. This is a CPA that ought to have his license revoked and the citizens shouldn’t elect him to be dog-catcher.

    • I agree. Both the Johnson Controls deal and the Vectren rate hike came at the time he was locked in a tough battle with Grafton in a purple voting Ward.

      At the end of the day, he cost the city 56 years worth of hard work into their facility. And what strikes me the most about it is that he went on Eyewitness News and claimed that the council had to vote to demolish it because the windows and doors were coming off. If you drove out there tonight, you would see they are still on there and it’s been almost 3 months since the auction. They shouldn’t be sold this late given that the BA knew there wasn’t enough funds for demolition. And even if they were ripped off, why can’t a barbed wire and/or chain link fence go around it till the council got the parks dept to budge one way or the other? It’s not like the pagoda didn’t sit there for years and years in a far worse condition.

      It seems like with all his votes something just doesn’t add up. First he votes for the chosen one salaries, then against. First he votes to keep funds away from the roberts demo account, then he says he has to vote for $500k. How is that any different than what we’ve seen on this council the past 50 + years? I just can’t support that.

  3. Maybe you forgot the role Mr.Friend played in proposed rate hike by Vectren. The request by Vectren was an overall rate increase of $32 million dollars. The state agreed with Mr. Friends and rejected the entire $32 million request by Vectren.

    It also looks like you’all forgot that Councilmen, John Friend objected to the City starting a $54 million dollar WIFI and installation of new water meters project for all uses in the city. Once again the State Board agreed with Mr. Friend and rejected this pie in the sky capital project for the City of Evansville.

    Please add the above figures that he saved the taxpayers of this community and I’m sure you will agree with the CCO that Mr. Friend is worthly of the CCO Mole Award!

    • That’s 84 million reasons to honor Mr. Friend! Mole Award well deserved for the Vectren and Johnson Control taxpayer savings.

    • In politics you’re only as good as your latest vote. His latest vote could undo all the other good he has done, unfortunately. Saddling taxpayers with the liabilities present in the 2013 budget is irresponsible.

      Let me give you an example…. Bill Buckner.

      Bill Buckner had over 1200 career RBI, scored over 1000 career runs, over 400 doubles, is 61st on the All-Time list in Hits with 2715.

      That is an impressive list of statistics. However, the only thing most fans today remember about Bill Buckner is that routine grounder that he let trickle through is legs that cost the Red Sox the World Series.

      Mr. Friend just made himself the Bill Buckner of the Evansville City Council.

      • Thankfully Buckner finally got to come back to Fenway after the Red Sox redeemed him. I don’t see Friend making up for this budget vote.

  4. Alright you got a very good point cocerning why Councilman Friend won
    the CCO Mole award. I agree with the reasons why the CCO selected Council Friend for this award.

    But I do agree with other posters that John should had voted against the 2013 budget.

  6. John is a valuable asset to the city council and more than deserving of any awards he may receive. John is a strong leader on the finance committee and will save the city millions of dollars when all is said and done. Keep up the good work John.

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