A short (35 minutes) and by the numbers meeting was highlighted by Mayor James Garner's "state of the city" review of the year 2005.
Will CM Dan Coffey be the next council president?
If so, will he resubscribe to the Tribune?
Vital questions of the day ...
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6 comments:
Yes, both Dan Coffey and Larry Kochert abstained on the Hitachi tax abatement.
Can anyone explain why?
The odd part was that Bev Crump was the one asking questions about it, not Kochert (well, Coffey talks incessantly, anyway, sometimes about the issue at hand and sometimes to make sure he's still breathing).
To me, the confusing part was that they didn't seem the have a problem with the Hitachi deal, then abstained, anyway, without coherent explanation.
Most of us present thought Coffey and Price would go against the Lipps printing tax abatement, since they might be using the bucks to print BOOKS.
What did Hitachi want the monies for? Where they expanding their production capacity?
Is lipps printing company a new business? I thought they sold out to cardinal printing years ago?
Maury
Though I admit that I have not seen the list, I've been told that New Albany is rather free and easy with its tax abatements.
I agree with Brandon--Hitachi has been here quite awhile, and unless they are planning an expansion, I don't understand why they'd still need a tax abatement.
But a "no" vote would have made more sense than an abstention--will someone ask Dan or Larry why they abstained?
You're correct, Maury. Lipps sold out to Cardinal awhile back, but for awhile they did go by the name Cardinal Lipps.
Aplogies for the confusion about Lipps -- I heard it wrong.
R-05-48 Resolution Concerning Statement of Benefits (Schmidt) Robert E. Libbs
R-05-49 Resolution Concerning Statement of Benefits (Price)
S & J Precision
John Rosenbarger explained Hitachi's expansion project prior to the vote, and someone else described the Libbs and S & J projects.
Don't blame me. I abstained.
The council president should ask each member for an explanation of their abstention for the record everytime it happens. They simply shouldn't be allowed to abstain for no reason. In the absence of a demonstrable conflict of interest or other easily justifiable mitigating circumstances, it's an abdication of duty that should be documented.
It's too bad the newspapers haven't reported on
the abstention issue. At the very least, they could publish the voting records of the members and the public could see how the abstentions pile up.
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