They capitulated as we knew they would. That would be Directors Lau, Good, Lorenz, Settle, & Hutchings. Congrats to Directress Pennartz & Director Catsavis. December 8, 2016

The above pertains to the Board breaking a contractual agreement with Frontier Engineering for construction of a trail.
The original contract called for $156,000 taxpayer dollars and the aforementioned Board members voted to break it by allowing an increase of $50,853.00. Parks Director Doug Reinert and new man on the block City Manager Carl Geffken recommended the scuttling of the contract to the Board.

Reinert came forth with a litany of excuses why the taxpayers should cough up an extra $50,000 + , i.e. delays, additional man hours, day by day, week by week, long hours documenting, and a host of other nebulous reasons.

The contract was flawed by both parties and proved to be another example of Ft. Smith government incompetency. Pertaining to the Trail, Reinert came forth stating “we cannot let this crown jewel fail”.

Reinert, the City Manager, and the 5 Board members, let me explain to you what the “Crown Jewel’s” quotation really is.

First, circa 25-30 years ago citizens passed a 1 % sales tax strictly dedicated for sewers & streets and during that period the tax generated over $600 million dollars. The $600 million was misapplied, misspent, and perhaps criminal conduct. Now the taxpaying citizens of Fort Smith are beneficiaries of a $300,000 EPA fine, accompanied by another $600 million EPA edict to pay for sewer improvements over the next 12 years. With inflation, etc., the $600 million could easily balloon to somewhere south of a Billion dollars, paying twice for sewers and receiving no substantive street improvements and/or sewers. Additionally, a shortage in Fire & Police pensions, a massive increase in water, sanitation, etc. consumer bills, spending millions on downtown privately owned Urban Renewal projects, the nascent Marshal’s Museum (ultimately, citizens will inherit the bills), the failed Convention Center, paying tuition costs for city employees, proposing to give them a 1% cost of living increase, homeless shelters, ad infinitum.

Director Good scoffed at only a 1% city employee raise. Mr. Good, the financial status of this city due to you and the remaining Board of Directors & past Boards’ incompetency; employees deserve no pay raise of any kind. By the way Directors, detail the procedure used in purchasing equipment, particularly rolling stock.

It should be noted that the 5 Directors that voted for the $50,000 giveaway have all been involved at various times in the wanton spending of the first $600 million.

Those reading this, next time you have an occasion to look into a mirror, ask yourself who is responsible for the incompetency and unbridled spending that the Fort Smith city government is involved in on a day to day basis. Same for all governments. They have far too much money that they can lay their self-serving hands on.

Joe McCutchen

arkansasfreedom.net