Goodbye 2015, hello 2016

News: Goodbye 2015, hello 2016

This past week saw the last official business of the 2015 council and next week Tuesday the 2016 council will conduct its first work session.  Last week's Special Council meeting was much more chaotic than I expected or desired.  I expect there to be more chaos than desired Tuesday just because there will be a lot of changes not only do we have three new council members but we also will be going to the work session format.

Thoughts of your write up

I tend to agree with your comments.  The citizens have spoken in the last election and want a different direction or might I say correcting the course.  Your comments about were right on while I cannot say anything for the second I sure can for the third.  Yes I say things in a very direct manner, I do not sugar coat anything.  One might ask why am I that way.  Well for the past 2+years I started to go to the council meetings and speak and when I ask questions and do not get full answers I grow frustrated.  The citizens expect better on getting the right correct full data out.  The council member that called me out put in a email sent to all and me later to remind me of the definition of integrity.  Some key words truthful, completeness, to name a couple.  I continued to get half truths as I call it.  What is a half truth?  Well here is what it is…A person as in the music center says the center made a profit.  Well did it.  I have requested data for months and get piecemeal.  I still do not have the final answers to my questions.  That is just one of many that have made me grow frustrated at the way the city and old council were running things.  Once the press release or article is written with half truths the story is correct but make the reader think one way instead of the correct way.  My new years resolution if I want to have one in this area is having a council and city manager that work for the citizens of Huber not their self interests. We want to see the city manager and council work for us.  We want full clear accurate information, not to work  with emergency actions (I will comment further on that), get our finance in order before another penny is spent so all know the $50M+ debt impacts the residents of the city, no more sole source, no more subsidy for DEC for Carriage Trails (more to follow), explain the disconnect of the special assessment that those residents pay which is much less that what they signed for at closing?  Does this mean that the city will be eating the cost which is a result of poor decision making?  If DEC wants more subsidies for Phase three and four then they should come with open books and show why they need one.  When I asked the question the response I received is we do not look at their books.  Well now do you know they need one.  The city should not be the one working up the deal.   It starts with DEC.  If they say they will walk away from it without it then maybe we do not need them to continue.  While I am not an attorney Huber Heights in 2015 operated under the everything is an emergency (most of the time).  I have been trying to see if I am correct when you do emergency legislation and non emergency.  While I cannot say in the affirmative but it looks like emergency cannot be changed so sole sourcing to DEC all the time cannot be changed much less any other contract.  Maybe someone with a more legal background could clear that up.  I am going to assume that the music center did indeed loose money their first year.  I as a citizen would like to see MEMI come make a presentation on why they think we lost money and what can be done to show a profit, and take questions from council and citizens and answer them instead of getting filtered data through the city manager.  Hopefully our city will open up more and let the citizens know truthfully what is going on from debt, subsidy's bonds, TIF, risk just to name a few.  I wish this next city council all the best especially to the three new members of council and my you stay true to your beliefs in the decisions you will make to make Huber Heights better.
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