WHERE'S THE MONEY??????

Alright, enough is enough. Things are getting just a little crazy around here lately, and seeing those 20 names in the Tribune today really put the cherry on top of an ever worsening situation. How many law suits are there against the City now? I'm sure somebody knows!
Adding insult to injury, another short article gave a completely erroneous version of events regarding the cancelled "Executive Session" meeting that was scheduled for this past Tuesday evening.
Garner sure pulled hard on that string and got the 'story' spinning off and away from the actual truth of the matter. The notice was indeed posted, as we checked it out personally and have a copy. Also, there were no mis-communications of intent. Everyone knew exactly what was supposed to happen, but it was indeed something that is not allowed to happen behind closed doors. Discussions of public monies and City financial matters are off limits (see Freedom of Speech for Indiana Codes pertaining to Open Door Laws).
We have previously expressed great confidence in our new local media outlet managers, and we anticipate that Mr. Tucker's main objective is indeed to print the actual truth, rather than some politicized version thereof. Therefore, we plan to apprise Mr. Tucker of the actual facts surrounding the canceled meeting. It was planned to discuss, "...Stormwater funding, Fuel costs, and Sewer Utility project spending" according to the posted notice.
The financial shortfalls of the City's limited resources are upon us.
The bottom line is that the City of New Albany has arrived a full 360' around until it's come face to face with itself and the repercussions of a whole lot of bad fiscal decisions that have been made over the course of the last few administrations.
However, Garner's tenure has been most particularly damaging, as one bad decision has followed another, and another, and he continues his attempts to dig deeper and deeper into the pockets of the general citizenry to regenerate funds that have "gone missing" by co-mingling City Departments, Services, Boards, and Committees.
The entanglements resulted in receiving a recommendation from the State Board of Accounts that the 2004 Audit warrants a full investigation due to signs of serious problems of the (mis)management of City funds, and actual violations of budgetary rules that were revealed when the Audit was released.
We, as citizens' and taxpayer advocates, are committed to our repeated requests for just such an investigation, and we are just as committed to standing up and demanding change, not only in terms of fiscal accountability, but as well as accountability for the basic management of the City.
This means we expect an intense re-examination of the plethora of issues that are contributing factors to the dismal financial picture and public discontent that IS currently New Albany.
From tax abatements to mounds of uncollected delinquent sewage accounts, unencumbered TIF funds and previously pledged EDIT dollars earmarked for sewage repairs, it must all be re-examined.
It is time for our elected bodies to take whatever drastic measures are necessary to correct drastic mistakes and get this community back on its collective feet with a strong foundation under us from which to build on. Both metaphorically and literally speaking. Our basic infrastructure is absolutely critical to the building blocks of any real sustainable economic revitalization.
We will be posting documentation, minutes of meetings, legal agreements and various other information to support our contentions that some of this money was already supposed to be there to pay upcoming expenses.
We want answers, and there's a lot of 'splaining to do.