Mayor toots-own-horn over part-time employees
During numerous public settings this week, Mayor Leonard Urban lists part-time city employees as a major accomplishment during his administration.
The Chief Executive/Kentucky Colonel first boasts about saving money by stripping benefits from new city employees then brags about spending tens of thousands of dollars to renovate the John Roberts building in Roberts Park. (Strangely, Crown Industries and Carbon Motors were not highlighted in the presentations)
Cutting Benefits
While it sounds good to “save money for the city” by hiring part-time employees, the mayor’s actions could put many new employees and their families into poverty. In an economy so tough, how can a family survive with less pay and no benefits -including pensions and health insurance for their families? Urban has already replaced numerous employees in the police and fire departments with part-time employees and is now working to do the same at the street department.
Along with being paid his mayor and Board of Public Works salaries, Urban reportedly is the first mayor in Connersville’s history to receive payment from the utility board and to have a free city-owned vehicle with (we’re told) a free gas card.
John Roberts building
Another “look-at-me” moment for Urban during his recent speeches has been the John Roberts (4H) Building in Roberts Park, a building that had been boarded up since the construction of the new John Miller Building.
The original plans were that the Miller Building was to replace the John Roberts Building
At the time, engineers said the building was “unsafe” and that nothing was salvageable including the roof, floors, windows, heating and plumbing and that it wasn’t ADA accessible and didn’t have a sprinkler system. A committee working on the project was told that the only thing still good about the building was “the brick façade.”
The Miller Building was originally planned to be built on the same site as the Roberts Building but there was a concern of where to hold receptions while the construction was taking place. Instead of tearing the building down, it was boarded up and secured from further deterioration by former mayor Maurie Connell.
Why spend the money now?
Urban spearheaded the project that has cost the city tens of thousands of dollars – a project that could have waited but now puts the community in more of a financial burden.
Before starting renovations, Urban said, “we’ve spent zero dollars on engineers” and “the building is in good condition.”
Both Urban and Park Superintendent Mike Bottomly have said numerous times that the renovations were necessary because the Miller Building was continually in us. Contrary to their statements, many people believe the Miller Building sits nearly empty on a regular basis.
Political Justification
Isn’t it ironic how a building in “good structural condition” was actually replaced years ago because it was deemed “beyond repair” by engineers?
The John Roberts Building renovation could have – and probably should have waited until better economic times. A time when Connersville actually had the money to spend on the project.
What do you think?
Hey advocate for change, what you need to realize is the only person that is appropriating the funds for all of these unnecessary projects is THE MAYOR, he asks approval of NO ONE! He does all of it on his own, he tells the Clowncil what he’s going to do and what he will or has spent and the gutless ones all go along with him, no matter what the issue. They’re making sure they stil get their 2-4 weeks vacation time at the Michigan compound every year. The CzarMayor does whatever he wants with no repercussions. He must be stopped, we are at 11.5 % unemployment today, let’s let some more full timers go and pay less to part-timers with no benefits. The Dictator is a true patriot and Undertaker, for sure.
I was recently behind the mayor when he was in his city owned car driving up Grand Ave on a Saturday afternoon. The way he was constantly riding the brakes, I would not be suprised if they need to be replaced soon. He was tapping the brakes the whole time I was behind him, about eight blocks. I think if it is too much car for him maybe he should park it.
Everyone needs to remember the names of all those currently in office and sitting on the boards that are giving the ok to spending on things that can wait, like the Roberts Building, and cuts are being made in pay for city workers. If they were the ones taking pay cuts, I think they would not be tooting their horns. The EMS unit is also replacing full time employees with part-time people. Rumor has it that the EMS commander is actively pushing to hire one of the part-time employees who is a convicted felon, over 2 veterans one a marine corp veteran and the other a combat medic recently returned from Iraq to fill the position of a recently retiring full-time employee. Both the veterans are more than qualified for the position and both are Fayette County residents. The President has been advocating for veterans to be hired when possible and even Wal-Mart is stepping up to the plate and turning their focus to hiring veterans. The people of Fayette County need to shout from the roof tops that these men need to be hired over a man who served prison time for theft.
He’s probably the only one tooting it.