"Transparency promotes trust," thunders local chain newspaper's editorialists -- unless THEY'RE the ones avoiding transparency.

Mike Moore kicked off the year in a blatant fit of sheer greed, and it wasn't very pretty.

The Jeffersonville mayor's inelegantly stage-managed bid for a 30% raise was so egregious that even our local chain newspaper took note, and rightly mounted the soapbox in protest.

Naturally, later this year at the annual shill ceremony concocted by its corporate master, the News and Tribune will win an award for best coverage of municipal events occurring just outside the office door, before adjourning to attend mocktail party for Alabama pensioners.

Just as predictably, in New Albany our City Hall expended six full months in a coordinated effort to rebuff "sunshine law" public information requests before being called on the carpet and fined by a judge.

Nope, not a peep from the principled editorial team at the News and Tribune.

It's worth repeating that one of the information requests spurned by New Albany's spigot-smothering city functionaries sought clarity about the amount of money spent each year by City Hall via its contract with ProMedia for purely discretionary advertisements, often thinly-veiled mayoral campaign ads, with this money flowing to places exactly like the News and Tribune.

Not one of the three links in this chain of taxpayer cash -- city, contractor or newspaper -- will tell us the answer to a simple question: Exactly how much money is involved?

Where's the transparency in this situation, exalted newspaper editorialists?

Thankfully one of these links, city government, is subject to Indiana state law pertaining to the necessity of honoring information requests, and yet instead of obeying the law, it threw a tantrum and delayed compliance until after the election, and only when forced to do so by the judiciary.

If the newspaper won't call out this sort of behavior, who will?

NT Editorial: Transparency promotes trust

THE ISSUE: Integrity in office

OUR VIEW: Mayor Moore and Councilman White fell short of expectations on salary scenario.

 ... The people deserve leaders who are transparent and forthcoming, and who follow procedures when it comes to doing the people's business.

The mayor should go ahead and veto his own raise, which might help part the clouds of controversy shadowing this entire episode.

The City Council will vote on the 2021 salary ordinance in early December. We suggest revisiting a pay raise then.

— The News and Tribune Editorial Board members are Publisher Bill Hanson, Editor Susan Duncan and Assistant Editor Chris Morris

In a brazen pre-election ploy, Gahan commits city to $1,000,000 in additional fire department salaries by the year 2023.

Hmm. Does it say anywhere how we go about paying the added firefighters and first responders once the grant is used instead to beautify a street in front of an appointed board member’s business?

"It does make clear that we have to pick up 25% of the first year and then a higher percentage each of the next three, at which point we will have obligated ourselves to about a million dollars a year for additional firefighters. But that's for the next mayor to worry about," wrote the Bookseller in reply.

"November 31st is the last day to apply, according to the Gahan team,"he then added.

"Bodes well for a third term and is indicative of the team's always-keen attention to detail." 🤥

New Albany to hire additional firefighters with $2.5 million grant, by Brooke McAfee (Tom May's Cabin)

NEW ALBANY — With the help of a federal safety grant, the City of New Albany will soon have more firefighters and first responders available to serve the community.

The city recently received a $2.5 million “Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response" (SAFER) grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that will help the New Albany Fire Department to increase its staff through direct funding. New Albany is one of about 300 communities across the U.S. to receive the grant ...

GREEN MOUSE SAYS: David Brewer's post-building commissioner "consultancy" is a leveler even when money isn't a motivator.

The Green Mouse has learned from multiple sources that earlier this year former building commissioner David Brewer (now the township trustee) inked a year-long consultancy contract with Jeff Gahan's ever conniving helpful City Hall for somewhere in the vicinity of $14,000. If this information is true, here's why it matters.

In the aftermath of the 2018 election, NA Confidential asked a question.

Congratulations to David Brewer, hitherto one of the least objectionable and most functional of Team Gahan's appointees. David needs to clarify one point immediately: Does he intend to remain in a salaried position as Building Commissioner and draw the township trustee's pay?

But those local Democrats most inclined to laughingly dismiss the relevance of our concern already have savagely criticized newly elected Republican assessor James Sinks for doing precisely that -- earning full-time pay as both as a teacher and the assessor ... much to the open chagrin of his own political party.

As a point in his favor, Brewer chose not to push this particular envelope. Take it away, Papa.

COLUMN: Former New Albany building commissioner motivated to help others, by Credulous Morris (Tom May Content Propagator)

 ... (David) Brewer said the job of building commissioner was eye-opening in many ways, including seeing so many needs in the community. That is what prompted him to run for New Albany Township Trustee last year. He wanted to do more to help people, to get them back on their feet.

Brewer, who took office on Jan. 1, said he had no intention of being a politician, or running for political office prior to his 2018 run. He was content for nine years being the city’s building commissioner. But something moved him to toss his hat into the ring against a popular incumbent, Republican Steve Burks. Brewer’s first taste of politics was a successful one. He wound up beating Burks by 1,443 votes.

“I never thought I would get into politics. You see things [in politics] that just infuriate you,” Brewer said. “It can be very divisive. But I want to do what I can to help people.”

In light of today's consultancy revelation, it's this part of the story that might be, well, divisive.

Brewer said he will take a pay cut to be township trustee, but money is not what motivates him. Helping those in need is what lights his fire.

According to the state of Indiana's public employee compensation on-line search tool, the New Albany Township trustee's annual salary is $40,000, while the City of New Albany's building commissioner earns $54,000.

A consultancy for $14,000? As they say in the UK about football: "There's the equaliser."

Two birds, one stone; Gahan potentially now has greater (if not completely unfettered) access to the township trustee's bank account, and Brewer doesn't take a pay cut at all. Everyone's happy, except those of us who stubbornly persist in favoring fair play and a level playing field.

Apart from the Green Mouse's perspective, allow me to conclude with a personal point of view: I'd be delighted if this rumor turns out to be false, and I'll happily correct the record if it does. Brewer always has seemed somewhat benign in the larger context of Gahan's systemic corruption; I realize there are others who'd disagree. Maybe I was hoping against all available evidence that there'd be something or someone not tainted by Gahanism's elemental toxicity.

But there's a remedy for enduring disappointment: #FireGahan2019

Incumbent Steve Burks seeks re-election as New Albany Township Trustee, with building commissioner David Brewer opposing him.

Steve Burks, a Republican, was elected to the office of New Albany Township Trustee in 2014. Burks is running for re-election this year.

A township trustee is an elected official in the local government of the U.S. state of Indiana. A township trustee administers a township, which in Indiana is the primary political subdivision of a county, and in common with most other state officials serves a term of four years.

Here's the skinny from 2014.

County Councilman Burks wins New Albany trustee’s seat (Theoretically Local Chain Newspaper)

FLOYD COUNTY — Republican Steve Burks will be trading one seat for another after scoring a victory over an incumbent Tuesday night.

Burks received 5,540 votes, or 52.9 percent, while Democrat Jeannie Freiberger received 4,926 votes, or 4,926 votes, in the New Albany Township Trustee race.

Burks is a pastor and also an at-large Floyd County councilman, so he will have to resign his seat

“I do benevolence all the time. That is what I do,” he said of his new post, which is largely tasked with helping the less fortunate. “I will try to be more efficient in that department. I want to give people a hand up instead of a hand out. I want people to be accountable."

Burks' opponent on November 6th is David Brewer, a Democrat and the city's Building Commissioner. Brewer also is locally renowned as an assistant basketball coach at New Albany High School.

Historically, NA Confidential has enjoyed good relations with Brewer, and we believe he does a good job as the building commissioner. It's an appointed position, not an elected one.

Re-reading the newspaper article linked above, I recalled a conversation I once had over coffee with Burks, who said he knew going into the 2014 election cycle that a person can't simultaneously hold two elected offices. If victorious in the trustee's race, he'd be compelled to resign as a county councilman.

Burks also discussed the possibility with his church, which accepted the idea of him being both pastor and trustee, given that trustees have a responsibility to those in need similar to that embraced by the church.

As an aside, here are the yearly rates of pay for the government jobs mentioned in this post.

Floyd County council representative: $10,000
Township trustee: $40,000
Building commissioner: $54,000

There does not appear to be a rule governing the simultaneous occupancy of an elected and an appointed office.

Currently the New Albany Township Trustee's office is located at the City-County Building on Hauss Square, which also is the headquarters of the Building Commission. It seems likely that if Burks is re-elected, he'll remain at his current office. If Brewer is the winner, is not known whether he's remain on duty as building commissioner, or move the office to the new City Hall being remodeled on Main Street.

The election is on November 6, and early voting at the county clerk's office begins on October 10.

Outraged by Mike Moore's fattened pay packet, Formerly Methodical McLaughlin proposes war on Jeffersonville "to preserve Esteemed Guide's honor and consumer buying power."

The Green Mouse has learned that New Albany city council president-for-life Formerly Methodical McLaughlin will call an emergency meeting for the Roadhouse on Sunday morning at eight, because damn it, this means war!

According to the ordinance, Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore will get a raise to $104,000 from $94,000, effective January 2018. The sewer department funds $15,000 of Moore's salary with an additional $5,000 being paid to him in his capacity as president of the sewer board.

According to the now Suddenly Unsystematic McLaughlin, "Let's put it like this. Suppose a major corporation like Amazon wants to move its headquarters here, but then they see Mike Moore being able to afford a quality of life that Jeffrey ... I mean, Light of Our Civic Being ... can't support. It's just wrong."

"The city of Jeffersonville knows it can't beat us at basketball for so long as we have Romeo, and this is the way they try to make us look bad. Well, not on my shift. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go cast a vote against financial assistance for the Homeless Coalition."

Gahan was unavailable for comment, but frequent stand-in and body double Mike Hall told the Green Mouse that as the city's director of communications, he understands better than many the advantages of complete and utter silence.

But another key administration figure was more forthcoming.

"As a specialized breed of new age corporate attorney, it's clear to me that Formerly has a good point," said Shane Gibson. "It's really hard to imagine the mayor of any stepping stone to higher office being expected to subsist on one-fourth my annual remuneration."

As NAC told you a month ago, public housing neophyte David Duggins will be the interim director of NAHA -- and at Bob Lane's pay grade.

How y'all feeling, Democrats?

Your beloved leader just did another one of those things that you'd be condemning -- nay, resisting -- if it had originated with Donald Trump. But hey, it's like Jeff Gahan once said: "Nobody reads the paper."

Especially Gahan, though gazing lovingly upon his own photo is another shtick entirely.

Gahan's public housing putsch steamrolled forward on Monday evening as the mayor's handpicked NAHA board of bobbleheaded brown-nosing flatterers selected the completely inexperienced David Duggins to serve as interim public housing dismantler.

Not only that, the double-dipping economic dishevelment director Duggins was awarded the same salary and benefits as Bob Lane, recently decapitated at Gahan's command. If memory serves, Lane held the job for 15 years.

But you see, as with Trump's appointees, Duggins needn't know anything at all. He's there to tear down public housing, not build it back, with the job performance bar separated from the dusty ground by an expanse equal to a flea's nostril hair. Dugout can clear it with ease so long as the bulldozers don't run out of petrol.

This is YOUR team, Democrats. When is the protest march?

Previously:

The Green Mouse has learned that David Duggins will be the interim director of the New Albany Housing Authority.

Advocates for the vulnerable find Gahan's public housing putsch "distressing." Interim director Duggins responds by crushing a beer can on his forehead.

Fake facts and disgraceful behavior: Jeff Gahan faced opposition to his public housing putsch, so now he's seeking to discredit NAHA with propaganda.