We believe that the City-County Observer has an obligation to our readers and the public in general to address the furor raised in the local mainstream media concerning the budget passed on Monday night by City Council. The Mayor, the Directors of the various non-profits groups that had cuts made to their budgets, Council members Mosby and Weaver, and the Courier and Press Editorial staff all voiced their outrage at the budget cuts made by the City Council. No one seemed to be concerned that the City has fallen into the habit of spending more than it brings in. In fact, they seem to be angry that the Council has finally  put a stop to this fiscally irresponsible practice. We want our readers to be aware that this was not a close vote. The measure passed by an 8 to 1 margin, with Jonathan Weaver being the lone “nay†vote because he wanted more money to put in budget for public safety.
Yesterday the Mayor called all of the City department heads and Directors of affected non-profit organizations together in a session aimed at explaining the cuts to their 2016 budgets. Chris Cooke, a vice president of United Neighborhoods of Evansville (UNOE), an umbrella organization for the various neighborhood associations throughout the city which distributes grants to the neighborhoods, voiced the feelings of several people in the room when he said that the cuts were “outrageous.† In case his name “rings a bell†for you, Mr. Cooke is the Director of the City Cemeteries, as well as a neighborhood group volunteer. Lynn Miller-Pease of Leadership Evansville seemed to still be in a state of shock when she complained that the Council had given her no warning of the cuts.
We wonder if the non-profit organization leaders understand how hard it is for many middle class families to make ends meet. Â Now we are faced with a proposed increase in the local Income Option Tax being pushed by the tax and spend Councilman Dan McGinn along with Mosby and Weaver. Â This coupled with future increases in water and sewer rates will make the struggle even harder for them to make ends meet.
Second Ward Councilwoman Missy Mosby bemoaned the cuts, especially the ones to the overtime accounts for EPD and EFD. We wonder why Miss Mosby voted for the cuts, if she finds them so onerous. She could have joined her main ally on the Council, Mr. Weaver, as a “nayâ€. We can only guess that there was some hidden political reason for not voting her “conscience†in the matter. Perhaps it is the fiscal conservatism that most of the “real people†of this city espouse, or an attempt to be all things to all people.
The Mayor himself reviled the Council for making the cuts for what he described as “political reasons.â€Â We wonder if it has ever occurred to Mr. Winnecke that it is he who has continually demanded more “spending money†than the City has income. He has engaged in a spending spree of epic proportions, without ever being satisfied. This Mayor has demanded more than we could afford and made it necessary to continue to raid the “Rainy Day Fund.â€Â He also seemed to have a problem remember just how little we are left with when he stated that we have two million dollars more than we do. CCO has likened Winnecke’s behavior to that of a spoiled child and yesterdays performance seemed to reinforce that characterization.
The Evansville Courier editorialized on Tuesday afternoon that the City Council has “failed Evansville.â€Â We strongly disagree with that opinion. We believe that the 2016 budget that was passed on Monday is the most fiscally responsible budget  that has come out of the Civic Center in many years. It is the Mayor and his weak leaders he has chosen to be a part of his team that have repeatedly failed Evansville.  Monday evening the City Council took the first step to re-established financial solvency for the City by refusing to allow Mayor Winnecke to continue spending more than we bring in. We congratulate the eight Councilors who stood up to stop the overspending.
In closing, we believe the coming City Election is not just a choice of leaders for the next four years. We know that we are at a crossroads for the future of Evansville, and if we do not choose the fiscally responsible candidates we will all pay the price for their folly.  Please choose wisely and vote on or before next Tuesday.
