Our charter (as it currently sits) gives Adkins all the power and council member none.  

According to our charter a council member is nothing more than a yes or no - they are FORBIDDEN from the charter by interfering in ANY way in ANY city department.

I agree - our councilpersons should be better about the whole asking questions thing and should be getting us more information - but the only person with real power in the entire city is Adkins (the Manager) and it's a shame.

I agree with Matt - there's a serious issue there - and we seem to just continually bungle it and already poured a few million down that hole - but Adkins has even told his councilpersons (and I heard him say it out loud to me and another councilperson) that every single vote of theres is nothing more than whether or not they want him as city manager.

He's bullied them and he's frightened them - and he's got the charter backing him up on it.

We'll never survive as a city under this style of leadership.

At the 2-6-18 council meeting a contract was awarded for the drawing up of a plan to work on a contamination plume in the city wellfield area.

A clean-up which has been bungled by the city for 14 years.

A contamination plume which not only threatens the drinking water but has stretched into residential areas.

A effort which has consumed close to $2M to no positive effect.

No questions from council.  No real information for the public.  

Not even the sound of crickets, middiemom; probably because they've all been poisoned.

Over the past nearly nine years, more than $18,000,000 in funds have been spent for "highly questionable downtown deals" and for an older neighborhoods scattered residential blitzkrieg by Mr. Adkins with city council member support. Now, with greatly diminished funds available (UDAG, Downtown Fund, Etc.) and no HUD give-away's (NSP) in sight, where's the necessary capital available to complete lingering central city projects and to rebuild the added mess foisted upon the residents of the former second ward?  This, above all, is the pertinent question for Mr. Adkins to elaborate.

Despite what you say, the facts don't lie!  And, you've never been able to provide information otherwise!

Middletown has had multi-millions in capital resources necessary to reverse the continuing decline in the "downtown" and older residential areas over the past nearly nine years.  But, what has resulted?

There are several noteworthy MUSA participants who choose not to post any longer.  Why is this?  First, in the words of Vivian Moon, there's a feeling of hopelessness until such time as new, independent city council members are elected.  Her sentiments have been articulated many times by Buddhalite since he began posting last May.  Others like What A City express their concerns on the MJ reader comments, but no longer here.  Active mebers like Whistlersmom and Acclaro are sorely missed  Yes, there is apathy on the part of most blog participants and the pubic as a whole.

It's your prerogative to unilaterally support Mr. Adkins.  That is your right.  However, it is also the right of others to present what they feel are more cost-effective and productive solutions to Middletown's lingering deficiencies.

I welcome any "documented" rebuttal to posts that I share.  Again, the facts don't lie!