LETTER TO THE EDITOR: HOW MUCH ARE COUNTY COMMISSION CANDIDATES SPENDING LOCALLY?
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: HOW MUCH ARE COUNTY COMMISSION CANDIDATES SPENDING LOCALLY?
Written By Johnnt Kincaid
APRIL 24, 2024
Candidates who buy locally build positive relationships with local businesses when they spend their campaign funds locally.
Since the beginning of the year, over $200,000 has been given to the Republican candidates for Vanderburgh County Commissioner. Amy Canterbury, a newcomer to local politics, started with no funds in her political coffers and she raised $153,676 between January 1 and April 12, 2024.
Vanderburgh County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave started the year with $103,209 in her campaign watches and raised $52,758 for the primary. This gave each campaign about $150,000 to use to persuade your vote.
Amy Canterbury spent $110,010 since the first of the year.on her campaign, $42,500 went to Matchstick Media, an Ohio media consulting firm that does creative for nationwide political campaigns. Another $10,250 was paid for a polling company from Washington DC, and $23,835 went to KAP Print in Texas for direct mail. Canterbury’s total out-of-market spending was $75,585 or 70% of total spending.
Cheryl Musgrave spent a total of $56,055 on her primary campaign. Her financial report reveals that she spent the overwhelming majority of her political war chest locally. Her campaign advertising dollars were spent locally instead of using an out-of-market media buyer. The only truly out-of-town expenditure was $500 for data. The total out-of-town spending by the Musgrave campaign was less than one percent of her campaign budget.
Political officials and candidates should foster positive relationships with local businesses. There’s no better way to promote local businesses than to directly do business with them. Spending money locally shows that you are committed to the success of our community.
FOOTNOTE: This article was posted by the City-County Observer without bias or editing.
TODAYS VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCIL & PERSONNEL & FINANCE MEETING AGENDA
PERSONNEL & FINANCE MEETING – APRIL 24, 2024 @3:30 PM
VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCIL – MAY 1, 2024 @3:30 PM
CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX, ROOM 301
1. OPENING OF MEETING
2. ATTENDANCE ROLL CALL
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
4. INVOCATION
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
A. County Council Meeting – April 3, 2024
6. PERSONNEL REQUESTS:
A. Superior Court
1. Request to allow advanced Step placement for Court Reporter 10001370-
137130
2. Request to fill vacancy for a Small Claims Secretary 10001370-137180
3. Request to fill vacancy for a PT Bailiff 10001370-137195
B. Drug and Alcohol Deferral Service
1. Request to fill vacancy for a Director 10001380-138111
C. CCPI-Work Release/Superior Court – INDOC Grant Work Release
1. Request to retitle and reclassify Residential Officer jointly funded by 11222505-
930460 and 93140000-931460
D. Clerk
1. Request to fill vacancy for a Senior Clerk-Circuit/Superior 10001010-101116
2. Request to fill vacancy for a Circuit/Superior Counter Clerk 10001010-101134
3. Request to fill vacancy for an M/T Subpoena Summons Clerk 10001010-101158
E. Assessor
1. Request to fill vacancy for a Real Estate Deputy Residential II 10001090-109156
7. APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE:
A. Auditor
B. Community Corrections Project Income – Home Detention
C. Community Corrections Project Income – Treatment Court
D. Community Corrections Project Income – Work Release
E. Cumulative Bridge
F. Convention Center Operating Fund
8. REPEALS – None
9. TRANSFERS:
A. Superior Court
B. Reassessment/County Assessor
10. SPECIAL APPROPRIATION:
A. Solid Waste Management District – Jean Carlson, Director
11. OLD BUSINESS:
A. Health First Indiana (HFI) – Joe Gries, Administrator Health Department
12. NEW BUSINESS:
A. P&F Meeting ONLY Veterans Memorial Coliseum Infrastructure Improvements –
Jeff Justice
B. Youth First – Parri Black, President & CEO
13. AMENDMENTS TO SALARY ORDINANCE
14. PUBLIC COMMENT
15. REMINDER OF UPCOMING MEETING DATES/TIMES:
A. County Council Meeting – May 1st @3:30 PM
B. Personnel & Finance Meeting – May 29th @3:30 PM
16. ADJOURNMENT
Lt. Gov. Crouch, IHCDA announce housing for youth exiting foster care
Four new affordable housing developments across the state will provide housing for young Hoosiers
INDIANAPOLIS (April 22, 2024) – Hoosier youth aging out of the foster care system will soon have access to affordable rental housing at four locations around the state. Following the Indiana General Assembly’s approval of funding, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) has announced the selection of four projects that will be developed to meet this need.
“Youth exiting the foster care system are vulnerable through no fault of their own, and it is our duty to provide them a smooth transition to adulthood,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “These four housing projects represent a significant step in that direction and will ensure foster youth are given a chance to live productive, dignified and independent lives.”
The initiative is designed to develop affordable rental housing developments with supportive services for youth (ages 18-23) aging out of foster care. The legislature appropriated $5,000,000 in the 2023 budget session and IHCDA will add an additional $5,000,000 to the program in the form of grants.
The Request for Proposal was released in December 2023 with applications due February 2024. Applicants were required to consist of a team that included, at minimum, a nonprofit housing developer, a qualified supportive service provider and a property management company. The nonprofit developer must develop and own the rental units, provide or hire property management and comply with all IHCDA reporting requirements. The qualified service provider must refer eligible applicants and provide residents with services such as life skills, budgeting, mental health counseling, job coaching, GED attainment and other services. IHCDA evaluated applicants in partnership with the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS).
The four applicants selected are:
- Lacasa of Goshen, Inc. and Bashor Children Home, for an 11-unit development in Goshen.
- Firefly Children and Family Alliance, Herron Property Management and ALK Development, for a 12-15 unit development in Indianapolis.
- New Hope Services, Inc., LifeSpring Health Systems and Herron Property Management, for a 10-14 unit development in Jeffersonville.
- Building and Impacting Communities, Inc., Epiphany & Company and BWI Management, for a 20-unit development in Merrillville.
The projects must operate as affordable rental housing, not as transitional housing, an emergency shelter or a safe haven. All units are required to serve youth exiting foster care. IHCDA will monitor these developments for program compliance and will conduct periodic inspections.
Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application for funding by December 2024. Initial applications did not include site control, zoning, site plans, architectural drawings or final budgets. The unit counts listed above are subject to change.
National Nonprofit Petco Love Invests in Vanderburgh Humane Society To Save and Improve the Lives of Pets in Southwestern Indiana
Evansville, IN (April 228, 2024) – The Vanderburgh Humane Society has received a $35,000 grant investment from national nonprofit Petco Love in support of their lifesaving work for animals in the Evansville region.
Petco Love is a national nonprofit leading change for pets by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since its founding in 1999, Petco Love has invested $375 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. And Petco Love helps find loving homes for pets in partnership with Petco and more than 4,000 organizations — like ours — across North America, with 6.75 million pets adopted and counting.
“Our investment in the Vanderburgh Humane Society is part of more than $15M in investments recently announced by Petco Love to power local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love. “Our local investments are only part of our strategy to empower animal lovers to drive lifesaving change right alongside us. We launched Petco Love Lost, a national lost and found database that uses patented image-recognition technology to simplify the search for lost pets.”
“Petco Love has been so supportive of our work for years. The best part about them as a partner is that they understand how overwhelming sheltering can be, and their grant application process and lifesaving investments reflect that,” said Amanda Coburn, Director of Advancement at VHS. “This lifesaving investment will help us support and retain our hardworking frontline staff who care for our pets day in and day out, so they can hopefully stay in an animal welfare career for the long haul.”
The Vanderburgh Humane Society is a nonprofit organization that serves more than 12,000 families every year through Adoption, Spay/Neuter, Humane Education, and many other programs that help keep pets with the people who love them. The VHS has been serving our community since 1957 and is one of the largest nonprofit shelters in the region, maintaining above a 90% save rate since 2020 while still remaining open-admission. Their clinic completed its 100,000th spay/neuter surgery in December of 2022.
Indiana State Police Partners with DEA for 26th Drug Take Back Day
On Saturday, April 27, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is sponsoring the 26th nationwide “Prescription Drug Take Back” initiative. The “Take Back” initiative seeks to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft through proper disposal of prescription drugs.
Collection sites will be set up nationwide for expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs which will be properly disposed of without threat to the environment. This program is for liquid and pill medications. Vaping pens without batteries and vaping cartridges will also be taken. Needles, new or used, WILL NOT be accepted for disposal. This service is free and anonymous with no questions asked.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—pose both potential safety and health hazards.
Once again, the Indiana State Police is pleased to partner with the DEA, and as in the past, unwanted medications may be dropped off at any Indiana State Police Post, except for the Toll Road Post. The event will be on Saturday, April 27, 2024, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
The Indiana State Police Post in Putnamville will have their collection on Friday, April 26, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
April Birthdays
Aaron Kendall
Sarah Sorensen
Roxie Holland
Drew Tucker
Men’s golf takes 7th at MVC Championship
Men’s Golf Takes 7th At MVC Championship
Gushrowski and Rohleder pace UE in the third round
APRIL 24, 2024
SUNRISE BEACH, Mo. – Nicholas Gushrowski and Isaac Rohleder posted rounds of 74 on Tuesday to help the University of Evansville men’s golf team come home in 7th place at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship at The Golf Club at Porta Cima.
Gushrowski and Rohleder finished the day at 2-over par to lead the Purple Aces. Completing the three rounds with a 233, Gushrowski tied for 38th while Rohleder was three behind with a 236. He tied for 43rd.
Carson Parker recorded the top finish for the Aces. Posting a 75 or lower in all three rounds, Parker scored a 224 on his way to a 26th place finish. He carded a 75 in Tuesday’s final round. Daniil Romashkin was two behind him with a 226. Romashkin finished round three with a 78 but had Evansville’s lowest round of the tournament with a 71 on Sunday.
Next up was Caleb Wassmer. His round of 78 on Tuesday gave him a 230, tying him for 34th. His low score was a 3-over 75 on Monday. Gushrowski tied for 38th with his 233 while Rohleder came home in a tie for 43rd with a 236.
As a team, Evansville improved in each of the three rounds before earning a 7th-place finish. UE’s 301 in the final round secured the finish with a final total of 905 strokes. The Aces edged Illinois State by two while coming in six shots ahead of Bradley.
Southern Illinois took top team and individual honors. The Salukis’ 856 finished eight in front of Missouri State and 12 on top of Valparaiso. Edouard Cereto of the Salukis was the medalist with a 209. His tally was two in front of Valpo’s Caleb VanArragon.
HOT JOBS
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Easily apply