Evansville Observer: Blog Corner: Dateline Chasin the News speaks on Police Station

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Blog Corner: Dateline Chasin the News speaks on Police Station

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3 comments:

Anonymous9:58 AM
All of this foolish spending and lack of planning is already starting to catch up with them. This town's taxes are crazy. Two years ago we were fortunate that a very nice couple bought the house next to us. They were so excited. Because in Madison they could never buy a house that big for the price they got it for. Now two years later they are gone. They decided between Evansville's taxes and the gas prices the drive Madison was the better deal. Speaking with the Realtor that has it listed now, she hears that often from potential buyers, they can't believe how high Evansville's taxes are. So our local council has hurt us in more way than one. It may be too late to stop this project, but people need to start paying more attention to this city's spending. I am sure that is why they have failed to bring any real business to town as well. The taxes scare the hell out most people/business
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Bill Connors6:29 PM
When I was city administrator, the city purchased the old ceramic shop (formerly a carpet store, and something else before that) and paid to fix it up for the youth center so the police department could move into the Dean building and be close to city hall. Then the city swapped property and paid cash to acquire the old Piggly Wiggly at the south end of the city. That building was going to be renovated to house both the public works department and the EMS. Now the police department and the EMS are going into the old fire station? Why did the city buy the ceramic shop and empty the Dean buiding? Why did the city acquire the old Piggly Wiggly? The problem is not lack of planning--it is lack of following the plan.

Please remember that the fact that property taxes in Evansville are high is not all caused by the city's spending. The county's, school district's, and technical college's spending decisions and tax base also have a big impact on your property taxes. Rock County has a very high property tax rate, because its property tax base is so poor. Dane County's property tax rate is far less. Union and Evansville should seek to detach from Rock County and join Dane County. Your property taxes would instantly drop by a lot.

Bill Connors
Former Evansville City Administrator
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Matt Gaboda9:21 PM
The same citizens who overwhelmingly approved digging a reservoir so a creek can fill it up, are also to thank for the elected officials of Evansville. Evansville is the wannabe of all wannabe cities. Remember that kid in high school who would flash gang symbols and talk trash, and then after school would hop in his mom's minivan in front of the school. Yeah, Evansville is almost that bad. Any serious industry that they have is at least fifty years old. The housing boom is over and not soon to return. The money train from residential construction has left, and now is the time when true leadership is most valuable.

The mayor has found her star which will ultimately be her demise, renewable energy. After the bio-fuel plant that couldn't moved on, the town of Union really has a brain when it comes to siting industrial wind turbines, and the flock is the only one drinking the Kool-Aid, Evansville has an identity crisis. Is it really historic Evansville, or is the downtown history? I don't have the answers on how to bring any potential business's to Evansville. Based on that, I wouldn't be robbing Peter to pay Paul. Anyone who owns a business realizes that even though you may have planned on new equipment or upgrades, plans change. The city mascot should be the "Mules". They continue to plod "forward" while walking off a cliff. This city refuses to see itself for what it is. An overtaxed bedroom town with a marginal location. Evansville needs to stop bathing in designer impostor perfume and get out the Old Spice.

Evansville had its honeymoon period, it's now time to take the dress off, put on some Zubaz and start paying off those bills.
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