IS IT TRUE  recently the CCO predicted that you better get ready for a big property tax increase in a couple of weeks?  …   ready yourself for another big  increase in your water and sewer rates in the near future? …we received our property tax increase letter yesterday and it looks like we were correct about the increase?  … you better get ready for a big water rate increase?

IT TRUE previous estimates that the City engaged in approximately $6 million in deficit spending for 2014 were too low?….the $6 million number previously reported here was before we saw the 2014 Annual Report?….the 2014 Annual Report showed that $5 million in 2014 bills were held until 2015, with approximately $3 million being payment in health insurance benefits for City employees?….the 2014 Annual Report also demonstrated the City received a prepayment of 2015 revenue from the Utility to shore up 2014 in the amount of $2.4 million in December of 2014?….this $2.4 million was revenue calculated into the 2015 budget but was used in 2014?….with the funds from the Utility and bills held, the City was able to end the 2014 year positive $300,000?…..if the bills had not been held and 2015 revenue used, the City would have ended negative to the tune of approximately $7 million?  …this $7 million coupled with the overspending logged in the 2014 Annual Report of nearly $6 million demonstrates the Winnecke Administration accrued debts and made expenditures of about $13 million more than it took in for revenue in 2014?  …with the prepayment from the Utility, the revenue calculated for 2015 will be short $2.4 million? …2015 is shaping up to another deficit spending year and can be added to 2012, 2013 and 2014, which were also deficit spending years?

IS IT TRUE the glaring problem with the City of Evansville’s spending habits, and why it was truly negative right after getting an installment of property taxes in December, is the City is nearly 6 months behind in its tax and spend policy?  ….City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr  was taking advances on the December property tax installment as soon as the numbers were secure enough for the Vanderburgh County Treasurer to release the funds?  …because the City was writing IOUs in the spring of 2014 leading up to the June property tax installment, the City’s operating account was almost immediately negative in July? …this started the IOU process all over again leading up to December, so that December revenue was spent on the past instead of the future? …the City normally spends about $5-6 million a month to operate, but the City spent an extra $5 million in January and February paying the bills carried over from 2014?…right now, the City’s operating fund is negative more than $22 million?

IS IT TRUE that Jonathan Weaver has taken to the airwaves last night regarding the Evansville Fire Department Ordinance requiring new hires with military experience to have an honorable discharge?  …the new ordinance has been found to be too broad in requiring an honorable discharge under federal law?  …the ordinance must be narrowed as there as several ways to separate from the military that are neither honorable nor dishonorable? …Weaver has blamed Al Lindsey for the ordinance and called him vindictive? …we wonder when it became the individual responsibility of City Council members to do legal research?…if anyone made an error in the EFD ordinance, it is the City Council attorney Scott Danks?….we are waiting for Weaver to call out Scott Danks as incompetent?….we suspect we’ll be waiting some time, as Weaver seems to have a pretty healthy fear of Mr. Danks?  …we also wonder why Weaver hasn’t called the Evansville Police Department vindictive, as they have the identical ordinance regarding their hiring practices in Evansville Municipal Code 2.175.100(A)(5) ? …it seems that Scott Danks was modeling the EFD ordinance after the EPD ordinance and assumed legality under the circumstances of the EPD ordinance being in place for years?  …we have yet to see Weaver call the EPD ordinance discriminatory or call for it to be amended?

IS IT TRUE it appears that Weaver has made a habit of attacking people on a personal level anyone who doesn’t agree with him? …it’s difficult however to determine exactly what Weaver’s position is on any given matter, as we have to wait for someone, usually Councilwoman Mosby or Mayor Winnecke, to tell him what it is? …of all of the members of City Council, Weaver is by far the least intelligent member and lacks any credibility when it comes to demonstrating an understanding of what is happening around him? …in more than three years, we’ve never seen him utter more than one sentence at a time, write an ordinance with substance , or come up with one single idea on his own  …we are hearing many people say “it would be shame if Weaver made it through the May 5th Primary, as he has absolutely nothing to offer the citizens of Evansville”?

IS IT TRUE three days after City Council passed a resolution demanding the repeal of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, they are still waiting to determine if Mayor Winnecke will join them?…..Winnecke’s failure to act has brought Vanderburgh County Democratic Chairman Rob Faulkner out of hibernation?….Faulkner issued a press release yesterday accusing Winnecke of pandering to Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma who is headed to Evansville to be the keynote speaker at the Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner?

PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ OUR READERS POLL QUESTION AND CAST YOUR VOTE ACCORDINGLY.  ALSO PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ TODAYS FEATURE ARTICLE POSTED ON THE UPPER LEFT  HAND PAGE.

IS IT TRUE  former Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel took issue with Evansville City Councilman Dan McGinn’s statements on his personal Facebook Page the yesterday? …we urge you to read what former Weinzapfel said about Councilman Dan McGinn mis-statement about Ford Center funding in todays CCO FEATURE page? …we look forward to Councilman McGinn response to former Mayor Weinzapel for his mis-statement about the method used to build the Ford Center?

IS IT TRUE we commend Evansville City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr for finally admitting that Councilman Friend was correct about the city having only $300,000 in the General Fund at the end of 2014?  …we hear that the Mayors Chief of Staff is extremely unhappy about Russ Lloyds public confession that the city having $300,000 in the General Fund at the end of 2014?

IS IT TRUE we would like to acknowledge the accurate article that Courier and Press Staff writer John Martin wrote about Monday night City Council meeting?  …his reporting was spot on?  …we hope the new owners of the Courier and Press take notice what can be achieved if top management allow reporters to do their job?

IS IT TRUE the CCO predicts that you’ll better get ready for a big property tax increase in the couple of weeks but also ready yourself for another increase in the water and sewer rates in the near future?

IS IT TRUE that the $200,000 Earthcare loan made by the Winnecke Administration is now  non-collectable because of a recent bankruptcy filing?   …we wish that Mayor Winnecke would had listened to Councilman Friend and Brinkerhoff-Riley about the proper vetting of Earthcare and its owners?

IS IT TRUE that City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr intentionally withheld payments to the City’s health care providers (Dentists, Doctors, Hospitals, etc.) in the amount of $3 million dollars? …if Lloyd would had paid those bills in a timely manner the General Fund would have been NEGATIVE by an additional $3 million dollars?

PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ OUR READERS POLL QUESTION AND CAST YOUR VOTE ACCORDINGLY.  ALSO READ TODAYS Feature Page ARTICLE LOCATED ON THE UPPER SIDE CORNER OF THE CCO.