I decided to take time from cleaning the gutters today to give a small retrospective of Mayor Henry’s term in office. I’ve listed below some of Henry’s major non-accomplishments. It’s not all-encompassing, so feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section.

Backpedaling on the creation of a fire merit board. During his campaign, he stated he supported it.

Last year, Henry wrote: “I support a true merit system within the fire department. I will work with the union, the chief and the city council to pass into law a merit ordinance that works for all firefighters.”

And when it came around, Henry said this.

“The mayor does support a merit system that mirrors that of the police department,” Mitson said. “He’s not against the merit system but thinks the current legislation passed by the city council is flawed.”

The takeover of the Northeast Indiana Public-Safety Academy. More here.

Refusing to take part in the bridge summit last year between Allen County and Fort Wayne government executives.

Signing the ridiculous lighting ordinance that enables citizens to call the “light police” if they think a neighbor’s light is too bright.

From Fort Wayne Observed.

Council members Shoaff, Goldner, Tim Pape, D-5, Glynn Hines, D-6 and Marty Bender, R-at large voted for the law. Council members Brown, Didier, Tom Smith, R-1st, and Mitch Harper, R-4th, voted against it during both readings.

Henry presented a flat budget in 2009, in spite of HB1001 and a projected $2.1 million shortfall in property tax receipts. He then suggested an increase in local income taxes. Thankfully city council managed $2.5 million in budget cuts in spite of Henry.

Henry also suggested the City Council will likely have to take a look at increasing local income taxes. He initially suggested the council examine income taxes this year before saying it wasn’t needed for 2009.

Complete inaction on the High Performance Government Network contract. Graham Richard furtively crammed a $95,000 per year three-year contract down the city’s throat in the last days of his administration. If it had been $100,000 or more, it would have needed city council approval. More at FWP.

Not enforcing the contractual agreements his mentor Graham Richard saddled the city with regarding the Harrison Square development and Barry Real Estate. Where’s the leadership? Is he waiting for a brother in the real estate business to get a company formed?

Hiding the fact the city hired a firm to lobby for a casino in Fort Wayne. It took the city three months to come clean.

He also neglected to announce that three months earlier, the city hired a Cincinnati law firm, also to lobby for legislative passage of a bill to allow a casino referendum in the city.

The Indianapolis firm is to be paid $3,000 a month for a year. The Cincinnati firm, $3,000 a month for 14 months, plus an upfront payment of $15,000. This $93,000 is in addition to the $45,000 the city pays for a separate legislative lobbyist to handle other issues and to the $32,000 the city paid another lobbying firm to study the economic effects of gambling.

The city doesn’t have much to show for its money. No formal proposal to allow a Fort Wayne referendum was ever made, let alone voted upon, in this year’s legislative session.

Bowing down to pressure from Glynn Hines’ bitching that we needed more “people of color” on the 9th floor, and hiring Vince Robinson as PIO, in part, because he’s black. Don’t get me wrong, Vince is capable and more than qualified, afterall he worked for Graham. But in recent weeks, Vince has displayed he’s really “into” the non-transparency thing.

“It just so happens that Vince Robinson is also a minority so he fulfills two of my goals and that was to have a professional working for us as well as someone of color,” Mayor Henry says.

Hines: They’ve let down the African-American community in not having a single African-American at a department head..

Attempting (successfully) to sneak in an additional $4 million in the financing arrangement for Renaissance Square, a 28 percent increase.

The use of CEDIT funds for the unnecessary destruction of Calhoun street , which has nothing to do with economic development.

The use of CEDIT funds for Renaissance Square, which has nothing to do with economic development.

The building will be purchased for $7.3 million from Renaissance Square, LLC. Renovations and furnishings will add approximately $7.2 million to the budget for a total cost of $14.5 million. The purchase funds will come from County Economic Development Income Tax dollars .

Presenting a 2010 budget that does nothing to prevent a future shortfall as property tax revenues continue to decline. He’ll most likely call for a tax increase next year instead of being prudent.

It gets the city through 2010 and gives the city time to seek other sources of revenue and lobby the state for changes that would help, Henry said.

“What we’re doing is buying time,” Henry said.

While he buys buildings and gets his friends into the trash business.

Giving city employees a 1.5% raise, when almost 10% of the Fort Wayne’s workforce is unemployed.

Refusing to release the video of the José Baudilio Lemus-Rodriguez shooting.

Attempting to give I&M the boot, in spite of the fact that I&M employs 352 employees with an annual payroll of $27 million. They pay $2.5 million in annual property taxes and donate $500,000 a year to local nonprofit groups. Last year they spent $12 million in the aftermath of the ice storm, bringing in over 1500 workers to restore power.

Henry has also continued to refuse to disclose how much the city has spent on attorney fees in the ongoing senseless feud.

Makes you wonder if he has a brother in the power business.

And the crown jewel of Henry’s accomplishments, the Earth First contract. If you’re unaware of what’s going on with that, you can read about it here.

Okay, what did I miss?

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Tags: Budget, Earth First, Fort Wayne City Council, Glynn Hines, Gregg Walbridge, Hardball Capital, Harrison Square, I&M, Jerry Henry, John Shoaff, Jon A. Bragalone, Karen Goldner, Liz Brown, Marty Bender, Monosodium Glutamate, National Serv-All, Tim Pape, Tom Didier, Tom Henry, Vince Robinson

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