We hope that today’s “Readers Forum” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?

IS IT TRUE just like the City-County Observer predicted in February, the building that the Courier Press has owned and occupied since 1990 has been sold to a New York-based real estate investor?…Twenty Lake Holdings purchased the newspaper building at 300 E. Walnut St. for $1.58 million on March 8, and The Courier Press will remain a tenant in the building they owned for nearly three decades?…Three Lake Holdings has been buying up properties owned by struggling newspapers for less than true value and the CP building is no exception? …to see an extremely nice office building that served as the center of operations for a major newspaper sell this cheap is shocking?…the CP building is a comp for downtown Evansville and the valuation of other properties based on this sale will be pathetic compared to what it costs to build?  …we encourage you to continue to support the Evansville Courier and Press printed publication?  …we also recommend that you read the Courier and Press online publication because it to is a good read?”

IS IT TRUE that yet another Evansville based non-profit is being faced with an alleged misappropriation of funds by its Executive Director?…this time it is ECHO Housing that has discovered that some personal expenses were paid with a non-profit check?…this is a tragic thing that has happened over and over for at least the last 15 years?…in this case the Executive Director enjoyed a stellar reputation and had been a finalists for the highly respected Athena Award?…we hope this all works out and that fiduciary responsibility prevails?…the often overlooked reality in cases where employee theft is alleged is that the boards of directors are responsible for oversight of non-profit spending?…it is that fiduciary responsibility that fails time and time again in River City at the board level that keeps these kinds of things happening?

IS IT TRUE we tried to find a list of the current ECHO Housing Board of Directors to no avail?  …does anyone know who is the current ECHO Housing Board Of Directors? …does anyone know who is the current Treasurer of the ECHO Housing agency?

IS IT TRUE it was recently reported by the Courier and Press that the former Executive Director of ECHO Housing Stephanie TenBarge used funds from the agency to pay her personal property taxes? ..ECHO Housing attorney Scott Wylie told the Courier and Press that the former Executive Director Stephanie TenBarge used ECHO funds to pay her personal property taxes?  …it was reported that TenBarge used ECHO money to pay the taxes for three (3) of her personal properties in November 2017, May 2017 and November 2016?

IS IT TRUE that ECHO attorney Scott Wylie told the Courier and Press that “all donor funds that have come to ECHO Housing have been accounted for”?  …we wonder if ECHO Housing attorney Wylie had an official Forensic Audit done by an independent CPA firm to back up his statement? …we wonder if attorney Scott Wylie alleged financial review statement included income and expenses of the 66 rental houses owned by ECHO Housing?  …we also wonder if his alleged financial review also included the Homeless Veterans housing unit and the Corporate office building repairs costs, insurance costs, property taxes, utility costs and bank payments? …we would hope that Mr. Wylie financial review also addressed business entertainment expenses, petty cash accounts, employees payroll and travel vouchers of the former Executive Director and ECHO Housing staff during the last several years?

IS IT TRUE that the Director of Evansville DMD, Kelly Courses told the Evansville Courier and Press that “ECHO Housing is an important partner for the Department of Metropolitan Development?” …Courses also stated that  “We’re going to continue without missing a beat. We’re going to support ECHO just the same as we always have?” …that Mr. Courses  also told the Courier and Press that “We combed through all of our grant programs and all the money that we run through ECHO, “We are 100 percent confident that ECHO used all our fund’s property?”

IS IT TRUE we find it interesting that Mr. Coures also told the Courier and Press “that he did not know what funding source TenBarge used to pay her personal property taxes?”  …we got the gut feeling that the Director of Evansville DMD, Kelly Courses knows more about this situation than he’s willing to talk about?

IS IT TRUE the City-County Observer respectfully request that either the ECHO Housing attorney or members of the ECHO Board of Directors immediately file a police report concerning the alleged misappropriation of agency funds? …when they do this it will allow the Indiana State Police to conduct a full investigation? …we feel if someone misappropriates money once they have the capacity to do again?…if the ECHO Housing authorities don’t, we respectfully suggest that members of the Evansville City Council do so?

IS IT TRUE we are told that many people want the Indiana State Police to conduct the investigation because they are independent of local control?  …if any alleged misappropriations of the ECHO agency funds for personal use turn out to be true the Indiana State Police should give this information to the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor and the US Attorney’s office so they can determine if criminal charges are warranted?

IS IT TRUE in a stunningly mind-numbing move, the Evansville City Council has discussed passing a limit to the number of terms that one can serve on the City Council and VOTE IT DOWN?…term limits are extremely popular with the taxpayers but the majority members (5) of this group of self-serving elected officials have essentially attempted to vote themselves the possibility of being “Council Members for Life’?…given the contempt these five (5) City Council members have shown to the taxpayers they may feel that it  might be time to replace the Council members that voted against term limits at the next election in 2019?

Todays “Readers Poll” question is: Do you feel that a police report should have been filed concerning the misappropriation of ECHO Housing funds in order to allow the Indiana State Police to conduct a full investigation?

Please take time and read our articles entitled “STATEHOUSE Files, CHANNEL 44 NEWS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, READERS POLL, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBS” and “LOCAL SPORTS”.  You now are able to subscribe to get the CCO daily.

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