October 10, 2016 / Evansville, Indiana – Over the weekend, Republican Vanderburgh County 1st District Commissioner candidate Sean Selby participated in the 95th Annual West Side Nut Club Fall Festival Parade whose grand marshal was Evansville Olympic two-time gold medal winning swimmer, Lilly King. Over the past week, he also spent every day of the Fall Festival interacting with voters and talking about the issues important to them.

Selby commented, “We received a very positive response at the Fall Festival to our platform on bettering roads, keeping taxes low, reducing restrictive regulations, opposing annexation that results in land grabs, encouraging entrepreneurship and attracting businesses that create jobs, and more.”

Specifically regarding keeping taxes low, at a recent United Neighborhoods of Evansville candidate forum, Selby spoke out against a proposal to raise property taxes by relaxing the property tax homestead exemption rate from 8% to 6% and by annually by 2% until completely gone. “Numerous Vanderburgh County residents have serious concerns that the Evansville City Council will vote today to increase their property taxes by relaxing the homestead exemption and I equally share in those concerns.”

With USA Today reporting that nearly 7 in 10 Americans have less than $1,000 in savings, some residents have even said they would eventually be unable to endure these projected annual 2% increases if passed and may be forced to consider moving to other counties. “When we look at multiple economic indicators, we realize that it is an especially bad idea to consider repealing this exemption of the homesteads in Vanderburgh County residents at this time. Furthermore, many are frustrated that Evansville will be able to outnumber the county voters who have spoken so clearly on this issue. So, I have called on individual city council members to reconsider this course of action today and hopefully they will.”

Later today, the Evansville City Council is slated to meet and may attempt to relax part of the property tax homestead exemption, which will lead to a tax increase of all Vanderburgh County residents for their homestead.

IS IT TRUE we hope that individuals attending tonights 2017 Budget hearing will publicly ask City Controller RUSS LlOYD JR if the money earmarked for the City retirees Healthcare fund is being deposited into the City’s General fund instead of being deposited into separate fund for City retirees?

IS IT TRUE if Finance Chairman and 1st Ward Councilman Dan McGinn (R) and 2nd Ward Council President Missy Mosby (D) decides not to allow members of the Evansville Police and Fire Departments to speak at tonights City Council meeting we hear that a group of private citizens will file a formal complaint against McGinn and Mosby with the State of Indiana Public Access Counselor for validating the EPD and EFD Constitutional Rights of Free Speech?

IS IT TRUE we hope that tonight members of the Evansville Fire and Police Departments will stand up and take on a couple of know the all’  Councilman head on and finally put them in their places?

IS IT TRUE we read with interest an article in the Courier and Press entitled “Zoo Could Lose Nearly Half Its Animals”?  …out of the blue Zoo Director Amos Morris claims that deferred maintenance issues may result in the loss of Accreditation and loss of Zoo animals is an obvious budgetary scare tactic?…we wonder why Zoo Director Amos Morris didn’t address the current status of his funding requests for the new Penguin exhibit, Mesker Park Amphitheater renovations and the new Carousel project at the Zoo during his newspaper interview? …we find it interesting that Mr. Morris granted this budgetary “Doom and Gloom” interview with the Courier one day before Council is considering adopting the 2017 City budget?  …we wonder if an under the table political deal was made with Morris that addressed his alleged deferred maintenance issues?  …you now know why many members of the Fire and Police Departments are saying that the Mayor and Council members are selecting “Zoo over City Employees”?

IS IT TRUE we wonder why Zoo Director Amos Morris didn’t provide the Courier and Press with detailed information concerning how much the Zoo lost in 2016?  …we also would like to know how many paid patrons visited the Zoo in 2016?

IS IT TRUE its time that Zoo Director Amos Morris finally realize that overwhelming majority of Evansville  taxpayers prefer giving more  money to our Fire and Police employees instead of giving it to the Zoo?

IS IT TRUE  last week we posted that “we wonder why EVSC School Board member and EPD officer Jeff Worthington is no longer the police liaison officer at Mater Dei High School”?  …since that post we received many phone calls concerning this post?  …all we know that EPD Officer Jeff Worthington has been the Mater Dei High School liaison officer for about 15 years and seemly was doing a creditable job in that position?  …Officer Worthington is running for re-election to the EVSC Board and some of our readers want to know  why he is no longer the police liaison officer at  Mater Dei High School and has been reassigned to a 3rd shift position with the EPD?

IS IT TRUE that the politicians in Washington has mandated a new law that will terminates all Employees Healthcare Plans in existences before March 10, 2010? …when this happens it will drive future Healthcare cost through the roof? … the Mayor should start putting money aside to off sit the large budget deficit facing the 2018 City Employee Healthcare program?  …we hope that this evening members of the Police and Fire Department will demand that City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr explain how the Mayor is going plan to address the major deficits issues in the 2018 City budget?

IS IT TRUE when the Evansville City Council approved the 2015 City budget? …Mayor Winnecke and the leadership of Council met a numbers of times to craft it?   …during the 2015 calendar year the Mayors directed his City Controller to write checks to pay for all operational expenses 2015? …during the 9th month of the  2015 budget year the Mayor informed the leadership of Council they have a $8 million dollar budget shortfall and need to borrow $8 million dollars from the Riverboat and Rainey Day funds in order to pay employee wages, Healthcare costs and other bills? …that Council quietly loaned the $8 million the Mayor requested?  …we wonder if the Mayor every re-paid the $8 million dollar loan back to the City?  …this sounds like this is the same thing that happening to the  2016 City budget?

IS IT TRUE that the “JUST IN: FIRST RESPONDERS TURN THIER BACKS ON MAYOR AT PARADE”  article posted in the CCO got an amazing 11,028 reads?  …that 4,142 read article in Facebook and 6,886 read it in the CCO?  …when certain members of the Evansville City Council and the Mayors office says “nobody reads the City Council Observer” all you have to say is you don’t say?

IS IT TRUE we hear that the 2017 Homestead Tax Credit grab issue will haunt Mayor Winnecke’s and some City Council members in future re-election efforts? … past supporters of the “StopThe Consolidatio movement have begun to remind the voters of the County about the major role that Mayor Winnecke played in trying to merge City and County Governments and his behind close door deal to grab the Homestead Tax Credit when he was on the County Commission?  …we are being told that candidates for State and County offices that have been endorsed by Mayor Winnecke better beware of the political raft of past supporters of the “Stop The Consolidation” movement and members of the Evansville Police and Fire Departments?

IS IT TRUE we are also being told that candidates for County and State offices endorsed by Missy Mosby,  Jonathan Weaver and Dan McGinn are also going to experience the political raft from members of our Fire and Police Department  at ballot box?

IS IT TRUE we wonder if the County is still paying for the empty space that once housed the County jail? …if this information is correct the Vanderburgh County taxpayers have paid the Vanderburgh County Building Authority millions of dollars for this space since it was vacated by the Sheriff’s Department?

IS IT TRUE we urge you to vote in todays “CCO READERS POLL” because you will find the question very interesting?

FOOT NOTES: Todays READERS POLL question is: WHO DO YOU FEEL IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEMBER OF EVANSVILLE CITY COUNCIL?

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A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

FIRST RESPONDERS TURN THIER BACKS ON MAYOR  AND HIS WIFE AT PARADE

We were just informed that a large group (around 100 people) of Evansville “First Responders” and members of their families turned their backs on Mayor Winnecke and his wife Carol McClintock in a peaceful protest during the Westside Nut Club Fall Festival parade this afternoon.

We are told the reason why members of Evansville Police and Fire departments and members of their families  turned their backs on the Mayor during the parade was because they feel that he turned his back on them concerning the proposed 2017 City Employee Healthcare program adjustments during the current budget hearings.

Members of the Police and Fire Departments also told us they aren’t going to allow Financial Chairman and 1st Ward Councilman Dan McGinn (R) and 2nd Ward Council President Missy Mosby (D) to stop them from speaking at this coming City Council meeting on Monday.

They predict that Mondays nights Council meeting will be jam packed disgruntled Police and Fire members and supporters demanding that City Council leadership allow them to speak their minds concerning the problems of the proposed 2017 City Employee Healthcare program adjustments

This is a developing story.

EDITORS NOTE:  We were looking back in our achieves looking for old articles concerning city finances and came across this most interesting letter that Mayoral candidate Gail Riecken sent us.  We find this letter to be extremely appropriate in todays discussion concerning the 2017 City Budget short falls because of the poor spending decisions and practices of our current Mayor and  City Council.

We look forward to an open and lively discussion concerning Ms. Riecken  (visionary) concerns published on May 16, 2015 concerning the future Ivy Tech’s exclusion from the IU Medical  Center project and the city’s dependency on Riverboat revenue.

ATTACHED BELOW IS GAIL RECKONS MAY 16, 2016 LETTER TO THE EDITORL

Dear Voters

Because I continue to be genuinely grateful for the show of support from the Democrat voters on Primary Election Day, allow me to extend yet another heartfelt “thank you.” Your reaction to my candidacy continues to motivate me and underscore my commitment to serve this great city.

I am not alone in failing to understand Ivy Tech’s exclusion from the IU Med Center project. I am hearing from an increasing number of residents who find this decision to be illogical. The bigger question is, “How does spending $80 million to serve 400 students make sense?”

Discussion at the City Council meeting this past Monday was both substantive and enlightening. Allowing for a timely and open discussion of fund balances and transfer of funds between accounts can only help both city leaders and the public have a “hard time” understanding of the city’s true financial picture. It goes without saying that moving funds among accounts has been done by prior administrations.

However, recent State Board of Accounts audit reports and the lack of clarity over the city’s financial situation have served to shake the public’s trust. Public discussion of the reasons behind the need to move money between accounts and the timeframe will give taxpayers a better understanding and greater confidence.

My administration will be centered on transparency and openness, especially in the critical area of public finance.

The discussion Monday also served to underscore the city’s dependency on riverboat revenue, a scenario Democrat Mayor Frank McDonald warned against when he steered the city through the passage of the state’s riverboat legislation, the referendum and subsequent selection of the company to establish Indiana’s first riverboat casino business in Evansville.

We must look back to the admonishments made by responsible city leaders who feared a time when the casino could float away, leaving dwindling municipal accounts that had been bolstered by gaming revenue. With our riverboat casino now able to move to land, we need to review Mayor McDonald’s well-stated commitment to avoid reliance on riverboat money for operational expenses, even though the possibility of “floating away” is now ending.

As always, thanks to my volunteer team, which continues to work diligently. Their work in the field, on the phone and in planning for the many upcoming events is greatly appreciated. Neil Woods is a valuable asset and a great friend who is ensuring that my campaign will be represented at all Neighborhood Associatoin Meetings..