Well one year down and three to go.
Do you get the feeling we are dealing with a mayor who is stuck in the 1990's?
For someone who ran his campaign for Mayor on the promise of change, we sure haven't seen it...how about you?
Have you readers said to yourself anytime last year, how in the hell did England ever get elected again?
Every other week England is trying to find ways to raise fees, spend taxpayers money, but in the next breath the New Albany Stormwater Board approved a raise for two employees Thursday.
The increases would be a $7,000 raise this year and a promotion to utility billing director for Kelly Welsh. That would bring her salary to $38,000 annually, plus benefits.
April Dickey would be promoted from account clerk to assistant utility manager, which would include a raise of $3,000.
First of all, be glad you both have a job with benefits. There are 2.6 million people out of work right now.
Second Ms. Welch, do you realize you would be making more than an elected officials in several departments, who spent thousands of dollars and campaigned their butts off to get elected?
Thirdly, our council voted "not to give any city employees a pay raise" in 2009.
If in-house billing did not work in the 90's why do you think it will work now?
Now residents are stuck with two bills, two checks and two stamps!
Why is Ron Carroll pushing for salary increases for Kelly and April in the billing office?
Raises our ass, no one down in that City County Building deserve salary increases when our city is in such a mess.
Good grief, don't any of you know what public service is?
"Mr. Mayor you and your cronies need to look at the big picture of: Where are we? How did we get here? What is your plan to get us out of this mess?"
Mr. Mayor, don't bank on the Obama stimulus package reaching your hands.
We still believe as strongly today that you, Mr. Mayor just don't get it.
Louisville, Jeffersonville, Sellersburg, Clarksville and Charlestown are down sizing and cutting back and New Albany isn't !
We wish for once in the history of this City of New Albany, that a mayor would stand before the citizens and tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth so help you God...that our city is in trouble.
This council didn't balance the budget, they took our Rainy Day Fund and cut some departments and claim the budget is balanced.
At that same council meeting our Controller said we have NO money to pay the RENT on the City County Building for next year, nor money for overtime for our Fire Department and we'll be back wanting the council to appropriate money for this.
Hell, if we can't afford the rent on the City County Building, and overtime for the NAFD, how can we afford a big $7,000 and $3,000 raise for those two billing office employees?
This just convinces us at Freedom Of Speech and our readers even more of how "out of touch" you really are Mr. Mayor!
