Mayor King Henry has struck again, this time yanking $250,000 of economic development (CEDIT) funds from city council members so *he* can better decide how to use the funds. Ruling from the top, Deputy Mayor acting Mayor Greg Purcell said “having all the money in one pot would let the city use it more efficiently”.
When the program started in 1990, each council district received $450,000 with an additional $450,000 split among the three at-large members. Henry slashed that amount to $250,000, and now it’s going to ZERO.
From a local news source:
Just because Henry is eliminating the council’s CEDIT funding doesn’t mean he doesn’t want their help, Purcell said.
Last November, the mayor and then-council president Didier sent a letter to neighborhood association presidents asking for suggestions of infrastructure projects.
Hey, how about some sewers for the 3 additions in Aboite that have septic fields that no longer perk? A large portion of the affluent drains into the Hadley ditch, and e-coli levels there are among the state’s highest. All three additions have been part of Fort Wayne since the January 2006 annexation, yet the city hasn’t lifted a finger to resolve the situation. All the while, the city exerts an enormous effort on “green initiatives” and “carbon footprint reduction” yet continues to allow the ongoing pollution of Hadley ditch.
I must note that Councilman Mitch Harper has had conversations with Aqua Indiana, but they won’t even hold conversations with our addition any longer. Talking to Aqua Indiana is like talking to a rock.
The city of Fort Wayne has something called the Green Business Outreach Program, which according to the city’s web site is a pilot program aimed at training citizens on how to reduce the carbon footprint in their home. How about a program designed to keep shit out of the waterways?
They also have the Green Ribbon Commission that according to the city web site is to provide advice and recommendations to the city on goals and strategies to conserve energy and improve air quality, raise awareness of air quality and energy issues within the community and encourage citizens and businesses to engage in energy savings and improved air quality practices. What about the water?
Also from the local news rag:
He [Councilman Smith] said he hopes the administration works with the council on deciding how to spend any federal stimulus money the city might receive as well as the city’s trust fund, when it becomes available next year.
The trust comes from revenues from the city’s light lease with Indiana Michigan Power and could be spent on anything next spring, or not spent at all.
Smith said if the money was to be used, it would be best spent on infrastructure.
Ah, the Light Lease Fund. I wonder how King Henry will take control of that? No, he *will* take control of it. How he spends it will be another issue. I digress.
Taking away the CEDIT funds from city council is in my opinion a bad move. The program has worked well for close to 20 years, and who better to help their constituents than the elected officials that live in the neighborhoods and talk to the citizens every day?
Where I live in the city we still have chip and seal streets, no city water, no street lights, no sewer and no sidewalks. Oh, but we are paying a maintenance fee for sewers and by-golly, they pick the fucking garbage up once a week.
Oh, and we also have Harrison Square. I guess we should all be thankful.
End rant – AWB
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And we didn’t see this comming?
How else is he going to pick up eveyones sticks?
He thinks it will cost 1/2 mil, but had no money set aside (35 k maybe)
They can’t plow at night cause the overtime cost to much,
They ran out of salt for 6 days last month,
they haven’t filled a pothole yet this year,
they haven’t picked up all the leaves yet,
But he atlest figured out how to pay for half the stick pickup bill.
Dan:
That’s COSTAPLENTY Square…
me:
Almost a MONTH later, and we STILL have limbs in the streets…(except around MY house, where WE paid to have OUR trees topped and the limbs REMOVED)…
Oh, I forgot, my wife and I are the very few that DO give a damn about OUR neighborhood…everyone else is section 8 renters with NO interest other than their next bottle or doobie.
Bring a chansaw, a pickup and drive OUR streets…plenty of firewood for FREE!
(just don’t get shot in the process)
Interesting blog post, glad I stumbled upon you! From my understanding the Green Ribbon Committee was a 6 month committee that has been disbanded for 2 years, yet maintains the website to look like it is in full motion? The energy plans they have been implementing in the city (proudly) is the “no idle policy.” So if there is a vehicle that is to idle for more than one minute they are to turn the car off…especially the diesel engines. 10 MINUTES after I heard this speech at the Coliseum “Green Show” there was a firetruck idling for 45 minutes. I know because I spoke to the passenger on the computer in the firetruck. No problems, just crowd control, and they took right off 45 MINUTES AFTER I spoke to him, because the diesel engine was still running. (I watched) THey are working on the poop shoot seperating from the stormsewers, it will just take 239.5 million over 18 years. Just wait, we will be a civilized society soon.
This is about the worst idea ever, I agree. Who knows the infrastructure of these districts better than the councilmen elected in them? You can’t tell me that the mayor’s office is going to make all of the infrastructure decisions based on city engineer suggestions. Ridiculous.
The ninth floor is just moving all the eggs into their basket, let’s crack some of these bad boys and make some “City Improvement Omelets”
I had no idea Greg Purcell practiced comedy on the side………..he said “Money, City, Efficiently” all in the same sentence with a straight face!!!! That’s rich!!!!