Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore was disappointed in last night's vote by the City Council. Voting 5-3 to give $400,000 towards the Clark Co. regional airport expansion. Voting FOR were Ed "Moe" Z, Samuels, Rodriquez, Owen and Hawkins. Voting AGAINST were Maples , Gill, and White. Mayor Moore said earlier he would veto the request if it passed here is Mayor Moore's words on last nights vote....
"Our city council has let us down. Sorry to the 19,000 travelers per day that utilize Holmans Lane who were ignored at tonight's vote. Obviously 5 council members don't place much value when giving their word. I guess airplanes are cooler then public safety." Mike Moore
Seems like another case of some council members thinking they know better than their constituents what is the best use of the public's hard earned tax dollars. Tax payers once again get a thumbed nose from the council...
ReplyDeleteIn my circles friends , family , coworkers and acquaintances there was very little support for this. Most feel Jeff tax dollars should stay in Jeff and benefit Jeff residents
Hopefully if vetoed some members who voted FOR will come to their senses, but I wouldn't hold my breath
Jeff Council voted 5-3 to give the airport $400k tonight with an anticipated mayoral veto.
ReplyDeleteLisa Gill kicked ass and took names during the meeting. It appears she caught airport presenters in a lie regarding audits and financial reporting, and she got Ed Z to admit the amount requested was a number he and Ron Grooms pretty much pulled out of their butts
Thanks to Gill, White, Maples for sticking up for the people who elected them.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the Council for seeing this as what it was. An excellent opportunity to improve Jeffersonville and the entire region. If the other counties go along, this will be positively transformative for Jeffersonville and Southern Indiana.
ReplyDeleteMayor Moore, please think twice about a veto. Holmans Lane is important, but so is this. Especially considering that we are only funding a very small amount. The rest is coming from federal dollars.
Be smart about this please.
Congratulations again to the Council. I am proud of the hard decision you made in light of all the vocal threats.
I am glad the council passed this. This is smart and good for Jeff and our whole community.
ReplyDeleteMayor, step back. Not every disagreement is personal. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't make them a bad guy or gal.
Threats? I was there. Didn't hear any threats.
ReplyDeleteIf it's so good for the whole region, it seems more would be willing to throw in, or at least more would have been asked.
Why don't all the corporations in River Ridge and throughout the County who will possibly utilize this airport be the ones to fund it? I am so tired of the taxpayers having to foot the bill for everything. And, guess what Anon? Those "federal dollars" don't grow on trees - they come from the taxpayers too!!
ReplyDeleteThe federal dollars will go somewhere. Do you want them here or elsewhere? Either way, we put those taxes.
DeleteWay to go Southern Jndiana! A great investment in our future
DeleteThe federal dollars probably would be better spent somewhere else...you don't see many other municipalities jumping on this because they know the benefits are negligible...
ReplyDeleteReally? They "know" the benefits are negligible? Just like you "know", Mr Batsuit?
DeleteIt is never about what is best. It is about politics and fifty dollar handshakes. Follow the money that is where the votes come from.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I bet you are right. Fifty dollar handshakes... Yeah man!!!
DeleteIt would be nice if local residents were informed about the vote, but The Snooze & Tribune hasn't printed a word about it...I'm sure we'll have a two page article on the faked reality show "60 Days In" though...SMH
ReplyDeleteClark County government, cities and towns receive $140,000 each year from payroll taxes from the airport. $44 million dollars is generated by companies who use the airport. The effect of $10 million being spent in Clark County and the region in payroll, sales taxes from the federal "gift" is significant!
ReplyDeleteSays the study paid for by the airport
DeleteExactly Kevin Vissing
ReplyDeleteI hope the mayor reconsiders his stance. To ignore the benefits the airport can provide the city is nothing but short sighted or politics at its worst.
ReplyDeleteAirport Authority meets at noon the 3rd?? Wedenesday of each month. Double check day, location and if infact they will hold one as they are prone to change.
ReplyDeleteIf council person Calle Jahn, who was absent.... votes the next meeting to override the veto, along with those who already supported the airport, it passes. So if you are pro airport, call Calle!
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Callie should not vote for/against any veto. Shame on her for being absent. Council members should NOT be paid when they miss meetings ---- being on the council is nothing more than a very lucrative financial perk for its members.
DeleteI can't speak for the mayor but myself could buy into this IF there were more contributions and support from other communities. This is a regional airport not Jeffersonville's. Nobody can seem to answer if this is such a good investment... Why aren't other cities , towns etc. being asked or contributing ??? and why such an inordinate amount from Jeffersonville ??? Doesn't seem fair
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Bat. The other communities should step up as well. Jeffersonville has shown leadership. Now it is time for the others to respond
DeleteGo Jeffersonville. This is important and I'm glad to see Jeffersonville is stepping up to be a regional leader. Others will follow.
DeleteNobody else will step up, they are smart enough to realize there will be minimal effect other than the airport itself getting an upgrade. This was a political creation to squeeze more tax money out of the taxpayers, No benefit at all to Joe Taxpayer...
DeleteAre you into conspiracy theory?
DeleteBat, you are a pretty nagative nelly...
DeleteNope just deal in facts, look back at the creation of the airport district...check out who all the players that are involved.
DeleteThose involved aren't smart enough to fool everyone but there are some dumb politicians who will fall and buy into anything...
Nope just deal in facts, look back at the creation of the airport district...check out who all the players that are involved.
DeleteThose involved aren't smart enough to fool everyone but there are some dumb politicians who will fall and buy into anything...
Clark County government could pay the whole thing if TIF wasn't stealing all of the counties money. Did you see where 4.5 million per year will be grossed off the new TIF on the 10th street corridor for the next 25 years! Granted, improvements come from that, but wow! No wonder Jeffersonville has the funds to do so much!
ReplyDeleteKevin don't you think it would be a slap in the face to every county employee who have gone years without a raise, to fund this while they are being ignored ???
DeleteKevin don't you think it would be a slap in the face to every county employee who have gone years without a raise, to fund this while they are being ignored ???
DeleteLet's just get down to the root of the problem.
ReplyDelete1)the $4.6mil Jeff will be getting from the state is not expected and is not in this year's budget. This money has to be spent on roads. Language in the bill also allows it to be spent on regional airport improvements. There is enough money to complete Holman Ln and the airport, with money left over for other projects.
2) This is where all the good intentions of the State goes to hell. There is money to help the airport. But we have a major problem, the president of the airboat is a sworn enemy of the mayor and Councilman White. With that said, they will do nothing to help the airport as long as Mr Galligan is involved.
There is no place in business or government for personal feelings. Individuals are elected to carry out the business of the people and not their own personal agendas.
If the area flourishes the elected officials benefit. Who is going to care who was on the air board when it is all said and done.
Invest in the community and let's put personal feelings aside.
Good points Anon. though I disagree on "there is enough money to complete Holman Ln. and the airport" comment.
ReplyDeleteAnd let's be totally honest the whole situation is politically driven on both sides. The amount that Jeffersonville committed for $ 400,000 has been pretty much shown to be a number two sworn political enemies of Moore... Ed "Moe" Z. and Ron Grooms is basically a number as one reader suggested "pulled out of their ass."
Councilperson Gill said financial records of the airport are hard to obtain...Why the secrecy ???
The best thing the air board could do is give Galligan a plaque thanking him for his service and move on... They don't need old washed up, out of touch, polarizing figures as the face of their airport. Place a well respected, non partisan as possible individual as president of the air board and this process would have been much smoother and a whole lot more cooperation forthcoming.
A big portion of rank and file loyal Democrats will tell you this is true and if Galligan's cronies WOULD be honest they know it is fact... When politics gets involved it leaves a bad taste in the public's mouth and makes support for a project like this even harder to sell to apprehensive voters like myself....
Ht I heard that John Perkins would accept the position.
DeleteJohn Perkins would accept any position if he thought it would benefit him. He cares nothing for the community.
ReplyDeleteThe good intentions of the state going to hell, you say. Ron Grooms isn't "the state."
ReplyDeleteThe council or mayor are acting well within their power, and are very much in line with their responsibilities to their constituents, if they thwart "the state" intention to funnel cash to the airport authority.
Also, there are sound reasons for the mayor, Dustin and all us Jeff voters that rejected his sorry ass not trusting Tom Galligan. The mayor, Dustin, Lisa and Scottie did what should do in representing US.
Way to go Mike!
Deletethis may sound selfish, but I have never once utilized the Clark county airport or needed to. I DO drive Holmans lane everyday, multiple times and it is a disaster. I am willing to bet more taxpayers travel via Holmans lane vs the Clark county airport.
ReplyDeleteI drive Holman lane daily. Its a mess!
ReplyDeleteThe mayor wasted a million dollars on Allison park, which goes unused. The council requested how much was invested into that park, with no answer, no transparency. State Board of Accounts has created new rules to tighten up on waste and fraud in government. Government officials have to be more transparent now more than ever.
Holmans lane could have been rebuilt years ago if the mayor wanted it. Too many pet projects.
Which is more important, Holman lane or new boat docks, or a $50,000 tv screen at riverstage.
Did Mayor Galligan spend the $650,000 to buy the land for Allison Brooke Park?
ReplyDeleteDid Mayor Moore veto TWO excessive expenditures of a total of around $5,000,000, for the Indoor Soccer Arena, including the attempted land expansion for 11 acres at $147,000 an acre.... for a parking lot?
Didn't the city council approve the funding?
Yes.
Yes.
And Yes.
Mayor, that was for 14 acres, not just the park property.
DeleteHmmmm....I don't remember the mayor or city officials complaining when other governments (such as Clark County) were contributing money into Jeffersonville for the heavy-haul connector to the Port. When a project is good for the overall betterment of the community, it shouldn't be looked at with such narrow focus.
ReplyDeleteGood veto by Mayor Moore. While I do understand the importance of the airport itself. Its not Jeffersonvilles main focus. The heavy haul road for the port was for the betterment of entire county not just jeffersonville. And while that argument could be used for the airport we have larger needs inside our city limits currently
ReplyDeleteBad veto. Pissing away over $10 million in matching funds from the Feds. Finally could have gotten some money back to our area.
ReplyDelete