IS IT TRUE that our “INDY MOLES” were spot on when they told us that Lt. Governor Eric Holcomb would win the political caucus as the person to represent the Republican party for Governor?  … our “INDY MOLES” now tell us that there is a strong  movement a foot to convince State Auditor Suzanne Crouch to run for Lt. Governor?  …our “INDY MOLES” also tell us if she decides to run for this position it’s her for the asking?

IS IT TRUE if you were the Chairman of the Board of a multi million dollar Corporation would you consider hiring a member of the Evansville City Council to a top management position in your Corporation?  If so, who would you hire?

IS IT TRUE we wonder if you would hire Lloyd Winnecke, Steve Schaefer, Alan Mounts, Russ Lloyd Jr, or Kelly Coures to be the CEO of your multi mullion dollar Corporation?  Is so, who would you hire?

IS IT TRUE on April 21, 2016 a special fundraising event was held for four (4) current Vanderburgh County school board members at the Kennel Club of Evansville?  …a Brian Hancock of One Main Street P O Box 968,  Evansville put on the fundraiser event invitation “please make your checks out to: CHRIS KIEFER,  MIKE DUCKWORTH, RANCE OSSENBERRG, ANS ANDY GUARINO”? …Mr Hancock also stated on his invitation “your gift will secure this endeavor for future school board campaign of these respective candidates”?  …we wonder why Mr. Hancock didn’t invite the other members of the school board who are currently running for re-election?  …we wonder what business or organization is located at ONE MAIN STREET, Evansville  that sponsored this fundraiser?

IS IT TRUE City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr recently stated that the city has many millions of dollars in the city  bank account as of June 30, 2016.?   … if  the City has that level of funds in our bank account why is it that City Council Finance Chairman Dan McGinn (acting as the surrogate for Mayor Winnecke) is asking for a reduction in the Homestead Tax Credit of nearly 25%?

IS IT TRUE according to a former member of City Council the changes in the City of Evansville operational funds over the last several years clearly point that we are currently experiencing a deficit spending spree around $800,000 to a $1 million dollar per month?  …if this information is correct we wonder why the only CPA on City Council Anne Hargis hasn’t contacted the State about this major cash flow problems? …if the City accounts are not in balanced we wonder why in the heck hasn’t City Council Finance Chairman Dan McGinn hasn’t asked  the SBOA do something about?

IS IT TRUE so far this year the City has transferred $12. 5 million dollars from the Riverboat Funds ?  …the Hospitalization  account was negative by $4 million dollars on June 30, 2015 and now is $7.5 million dollars in the red?

IS IT TRUE if the Vanderburgh County Council would had heeded the advice of former County Commissioner David Mosby that we should build a larger County jail County we wouldn’t be having the jail overcrowding issues facing us now?

FOOTNOTE: “IS IT TRUE” will be posted on this coming Friday?

Todays READERS POLL question is: Do you feel that the 22 member Committee will go along with Governor Pence replacement advice by selecting Lt. Governor Eric Holcomb?

Please take time and read our newest feature articles entitled “HOT JOBS” and “LOCAL SPORTS” posted in our sections.

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Copyright 2015

Sheriff Dave Wedding, Chief Deputy John Strange and Confinement Sergeant Dave Guetling attended the 86th annual Indiana Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) Training Conference in Indianapolis this past weekend.

Confinement Sergeant Dave Guetling received the ISA’s Correctional Officer of the Year Award. Sergeant Guetling was nominated for this award by his supervisors and peers at the Vanderburgh County Jail. The award was presented to Sgt. Guetling by Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding and Wayne County Sheriff Jeff Cappa, current ISA president.

Sheriff Wedding was elected by the ISA Board of Directors to serve as the 2nd Vice President for 2017 and Chief Strange was re-appointed to the Board by ISA President Sheriff Jeff Cappa.

This year’s featured speakers were John Thompson, Executive Director of the National Sheriffs’ Association, Col. Danny McKnight, US Army (ret.), who spoke on leadership and of the United States’ mission in Task Force Ranger (commonly known as the Black Hawk Down) mission, and Phil Chalmers, a leading researcher and expert on teen killers and how society teaches our kids to kill.

A special table was left vacant, except for vases and a single, brown campaign hat, which was set to honor all Indiana sheriffs and deputy sheriffs that have died in the line of duty since the inception of our state. A member of the ISA Honor Guard placed a rose on one of several vases on the table as the names of those sheriffs and deputies were called. The names included that of Vanderburgh County Special Deputy William Engle, who was killed while transporting a prisoner to stand trial in 1919.

Pictured above (left to right): Sheriff Dave Wedding, Sgt. Dave Guetling, Sheriff Jeff Cappa

Pictured above (left to right): Chief Deputy John Strange, Sheriff Dave Wedding

  Evansville City Council Looks to Change Homestead Tax Credit

While that resolution was withdrawn at Monday’s city council meeting, it’s not the end of the discussion.

Council will bring it back up in a meeting before November 1st, to get it passed.

“I personally believe we can not afford eight percent of our homestead tax credit,” said city councilman Dan McGinn.

In 2015, Evansville joined nine other Indiana counties offering a homestead tax exemption to homeowners. City council chose the highest homestead tax allowed by the state, eight percent.

For example, if someone in Vanderburgh County owes $1,000 in property taxes, with the homestead tax credit they would only have to pay $920.

McGinn says, the decision to have the homestead tax at eight percent, something he did vote in favor of, was “election exuberance.”

“I wish I voted against it,” said McGinn. “Because it caused us some financial issues with some problems because it costs us $450,000 to $460,000.”

Vanderburgh County is the only county in Indiana that offers the full eight percent homestead tax credit.

Allen County, where Fort Wayne sits, is the second highest at 7.0404%

“Let me tell you folks,” said McGinn. “We can not afford that, I’ll tell you that upfront.”

Council has until November to change the current homestead tax credit.

McGinn says they plan to use a new formula to decide the new percentage the tax credit should be. He hopes it will be lowered to around six percent.

“That may allow us to keep all of our police and all of our firefighters and all of our road crews on,” said McGinn. “Which is something we need to do.”

Indiana Counties that have a Homestead Credit:

• Allen – 7.0404%
• Marion – 3.0844%
• Miami – 2.6280%
• Monroe – 3.4820%
• Perry – 2.3328%
• Posey – 5.4261%
• St. Joseph – 5.8243%
• Spencer – 4.4136%
• Tippecanoe – 3.4022%
• Vanderburgh – 8.0000%

Warrick County Power Plant Deals Major Setbacks 

The incident has caused severe damage to the F.B. Culley Power Plant owned by Vectren.

Two of the main units, Culley Two and Three, were out of commission for most of Sunday. Culley Two was back up and running by 4 a.m. Monday.

Culley Three that produces 270 megawatts of electricity will not be able to run for the next four to five weeks.

Vectren says if it continues to have problems, it will turn to Alcoa and other power plants in the Tri-State for assistance.