Is this a Mayor Garner "Scare Tactic?" Why did Garner veto the council ordinance that ask the court to review the no-bid contract issued by the sewer board? Why is he afraid for all the facts to come out before us taxpayers? We all know how he doesn't like public criticism.
Here's the scam he is trying to/scare us with:
Council Attorney.........................$150.00 Hour
City Attorney................................$95.00 Hour
Sewer Board Attorney.................$95.00 Hour
Stormwater Board Attorney.....$95.00 Hour
Outside Counsel For Both Sides...........$600.00 Hour
Total Cost To Citizens Of New Albany..$1,035.00/Hour
Average Litigation
Time 250 Hours............................$258,750.00
Appealed to Higher Court............$258,750.00
Minimum cost To Citizens...........$517,500.00
Source: Mayor "Jimmy" Garner
WHAT A WASTE OF ALL THIS MONEY!!!!!!!
Let's look at these salaries taxpayers are already paying these Attorneys:
City Attorney Shane Gibson:
Attorney's budget.................$27,986.00
Plan Commission...................$13,165.00
Flood Control.....................$1,600.00
Total(Part-time position)..$42,751.00
Source: 2007 Payroll Records
Stormwater Board
Atty. Mike Summers............$14,500.00
Source: 2008 Stormwater Budget Request
If Garner wanted to save taxpayers money and not pay all these attorney's fee, he could tell the boards to put the contracts out for bid.
It's just that simple.
Think about it: So the taxpayers should pony up, pay for your incompetence and your mistakes?
Damn, don't these people ever quit?
Freedom of Speech continues to point out that the sewer utility has been expanding the sewers and NOT really fixing the old sewers. We know our tax dollars and sewer rate fees are not being spent properly. We continue to support that the Mayor and the Sewer Board members have been wasting our taxpayer dollars on Sewer Board Attorney Fifer's fees. Easy money eh Fifer? But like you once told me, "I have to make a living."
But really, we're sick of you and all the other attorneys and consultants making a living off us taxpayers hard earned money. These boards have not been serving the taxpayers and then you expect us to continue to foot the bill!
This administration has put us in one lawsuit after another. And our council has aided and abetted you to do so!
In the real world we live in, we must actually account for our income/expenses, figure out the things we need, and live within our means. You in local government should have more responsibility to do so because it is not your money!
Shame on every damn one of you...
Jimmy let's not resort to scare tactics and innuendos.
The game playing and trickery needs to end. How desperate are you? Everyone said when you lost the primary that you would pull every trick in the "book" before you left office.
Besides, Mayor Garner, there are criminal penalities with regards to the EPA and the city is on the hook for those penalities now and even after you leave office!
Freedom of Speech believes:
The principle of fairness suggests that the burden of waste disposal should be shared equitably among all citizens responsible for producing the waste. While the New Albany residents have not yet adopted a militant posture, we clearly feel abdoned by the political process.
In retrospect, the mayor is clearly to blame for placing the council in this position. Since opposition to this contract was foreseeble, an effort should have been made to advertise for bids prior to making the contract with EMC. If no other qualified companys were found, the claims made by the City Council and residents would not be quite so convincing. By acting as they did, Mayor Garner,EMC and Sewer Board Attorney Greg Fifer ensured that the taxpayers have a distrust, not only of Zurschmiede and Kochert, but of the entire Sewer Board and it's process of negotiating contracts.
Of course, this whole sordid mess will go before the judicial system and probably cost us taxpayer's a few hundred thousand dollars - proving again the gross incompetence, because of this kind of action, the taxpayers do not trust the boards and elected officials.
When will the "raping of taxpayers" ever end in New Albany?
If at first you don't succeed find out if the loser gets anything.
~Bill Lyons
