ANOTHER WHY? FOR THE UBER CORRUPT FORT SMITH CITY GOVERNMENT.
March 20, 2017

T.R. article this date states that City Administrator Jeff Geffken wants to renegotiate the latest EPA decree which demands the city pay $400 million worth of upgrades to the city’s sewer system. Note, I stated this was the 2nd EPA decree regarding the crumbling Ft. Smith sewer system.

In 1985 the Fort Smith city voters voted for a 1% street/sewer tax and said tax has never been interrupted. In 2015 the Times Record reported that the street/sewer tax was generating $21 million per year. Therefore; in that 30 year period (`1985-2015) the street/sewer tax generated at least $630 million. The TR data just mentioned was published Jan. 6, 2015 which adds on another $50 million or so. Now Geffken is being told by the downtown insiders (Griffin & Sicard) to put the citizen tax collar on for the 3rd time, extending the EPA decree for another 25 years!

The above money would have paid for the street & sewer tax improvements by the year 2007, yet the streets & sewers are crumbling. It is my belief that the FS city government’s activities go far past incompetence, but citizens, who really is to blame? Once again I will say in the eyes of incumbents, incumbency is ownership! Only citizens with smarts can redirect this idiocy, i.e. incumbency.

So where did the $650 million go? It is said the fire/police retirement funds are deficient, while the city subsidizes the Civic Center with $700,000 per year, streets/sewer deficiencies, Trails, Marshal’s Museum, downtown Urban Renewal, consultants, faux bidding on city equipment, and the latest of their WHY dedication of $2 million or so to two politicians by the name of Sen. Jake Files & Lee Webb…2 insider government cronies with no qualifications for inheriting such a potentially lucrative project, i.e. the River Valley Sports Complex. Not to mention the monies they give to non-profits which are all subsidized by government, one way or another and the delegation of citizen authority to Planners & Regional government organization (NGO’s) that have no oversight. There is more incompetency?

There is absolutely no transparency in this government that allows city citizens to become informed. It is corrupt to core.

Joe McCutchen

arkansasfreedom.net

P.S. Governor Hutchinson and the Arkansas legislature have introduced this session 10 different bills to castrate the FOIA!