Many Questions Left Unanswered

When our new City Council  was first appointed back in April, they promised to be HONEST, OPEN AND TRANSPARENT.  This has not been the case and we need to continue putting pressure on our Council Members to keep this promise. 

What happened to the Town Hall Meeting that Mayor Joe LaCascia promised to hold in the elementary school cafeteria so there would be enough space to accommodate everyone?  How many questions have been answered with a response of "I'll have to get back to you on that".  "We'll have to look into that and let you know".  "Come and see me in my office, and I will have the answer available to you".  Were these questions ever followed up with answers?

What is the next step in the process of paying off the County impact fees now that the County has refused to accept Polk City's proposed payment plan, and refused the payment? What is the status of the renegotiation on the Sun Trust loan of $4.4 Million for a lower interest rate?  This is still outstanding debt on the TEMPORARY CARDINAL HILL WWTF.  Why is the city spending money on an appraisal for future land purchase related to a TEMPORARY WWTF?   Why is the Acting City Manager "shopping" for an additional loan fot $2.68 Million dollars when we have an existing $10.4M debt? 

What is the status of the Fantasy of Flight lawsuit?  What is the status of the lawsuit against the county in regards to the Mt. Olive Sewer Plant?  There were contradictory reasons provided to the public & The Ledger for the dismissal of the former Public Works Director.  It appears he may have legal grounds for a lawsuit.  This issue has been evaded.

What will be the total cost of the planned Community Development Block Grant project to put water lines in the Railroad Heights area of the city.  What if the project goes over budget?  How much of the total cost will be left for the tax payers, after this Grant money is spent?  Councilman Mike Blevin asked this same question at a previous council meeting, but did not get an answer.  Will the project be scaled back when the grant money runs out?  Hopefully, these questions will be answered at the 7:00 PM November 8, 2010, City Council Meeting at which time a discussion regarding this issue will be on the agenda. 

At the Council Workshops and Meetings, questions from the public should not be limited only to the issues specifically listed on the agenda.  This tactic has been used in the past, and is an infringement on our FREEDOM OF SPEECH!  It is a form of manipulation by the administration to control what issues they want to discuss.  The public is denied information, and various delay tactics are used to avoid answering pointed questions. This causes public frustration and leads to the perception that Council is not being honest or is attempting to deceive the public.  The public deserves answers.