Grant to give facelift

So, our illustrious city officials once again have found a huge chunk of change ($650,000.00) that just happened to be “tucked away in one of our other accounts”, and right away they just had to spend it on their very favorite pet projects: the repair and maintenance of their buddies’ properties downtown and on South Main Street.

Why hasn’t anyone asked the real questions, such as:

1.     Where did this money come from and what was its original purpose?

2.     Why wasn’t it all used for its intended purpose?

3.     Can it be used for road and street repaving/repair?

4.     Can it be used for sewer repair/replacement?

5.     For what other purposes (besides downtown and South Main) can it be used?

Aren’t these the kinds of questions our elected representatives are supposed to be asking before City Hall spends taxpayer funds on the same old risky scheme that has failed repeatedly in the past???

Irisner -I doubt the money can be spent on anything other than the planned target. there are strings to Grant money, you all should know that by now.
    If you look at the records of the Downtown Fund you will find that this money is not really a dedicated fund at all since it  has been used for numerous different projects from paying salaries, taxes, loan payments, loans, utility bills and purchasing property. The only thing that seems to be dedicated is who decides which friend of city hall receives these funds
    I am very much NOT  a fan of the people Downtown right now, but even someone as flawed as Ms Judy doesn't deserve the non stop whining that goes on here.
    Are you saying that I do not have the right to question where and how City Hall spends this money? Let me remind you that in December 2011 we were told the City was going broke.
    let's be realistic and talk about what CAN be done to solve some of the cities problems. Let's not waste time bitching because money NOT available for any other purpose is not being spent wisely.
    But that is the money not being spent wisely is my complaint and it should be yours also.
    Case in point...in addition to my 30% staff cuts, i say we check into the possibility of  clearing whole neighborhoods out to make the land available for Residential Development, much like what was done for the Trinity Place Project 30 years ago.
    Well Irisner where will the City Hall come up with all the money needed to purchase a square block of housing and clear the land? I would guess that this plan is for the 2^nd Ward. The Trinity Place Project was built for high end rental and it failed! Now the City has approved another 260 unit high end rental complex at 1-75. We have been assured that these will NOT become Section 8 rentals but I wouldn’t bet my bank account in this deal either. Ya see the City has NO control over who will rent these apartments after they are built.
Until these blighted areas are gone, there is little hope for downtown Middletown.
    Where were all the city officials with their code enforcement letters over the years as they watched all the building downtown slowly fall into ruin?
So now you think that the taxpayers should foot the bill for the failure of City Hall once again…
Do ya remember the 1.2 million bond that paid for the demo of Swallens and the City Garage. It was going to save us $90,000 a year and that money would be used as payment on the bond…    ....I will let you do the research on how well this plan worked out for the taxpayers.
   

Rhodes,

I am in complete agreement, with one addition:

I wouldn’t care so much that they keep trying the same thing over and over and failing over and over, IF they did it with their own money.  In that case I would be very supportive.

But they keep doing it with our money—worse yet, borrowed money that our children and grandchildren will have to repay—just so they can try to live out their fantasies.  They keep forcing us to be unwilling investors in their risky schemes, with no chance of recouping our investments.

Well, let’s see…In 2008 there was a façade grant program that provided $5,000 (forgivable at $1,000 per year) plus a $10,000 loan (at no interest, if memory serves).

And there was the façade grant program that was part of the exciting Crossroads 2000 program when the mall roof came off back in 2001.  I can’t remember the details of that giveaway of tax money.

I guess in the eyes of some, we should be accustomed to paying for the maintenance of the old buildings downtown for these owners of private property.  They are used to getting it every few years, so we are due once again.

We shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the definition of “façade” now includes:  roofs, gutters, signage, window repairs, enclosing a gap in the rear of a building, and unlisted improvements to a house!!! 

I wonder if our tax money will trickle on down South Main Street to help city officials with the maintenance on their mansions???  I also wonder what would happen if Spiderjohn, or MiddletownUSA asked for some of this grant money for repairs to their businesses, or if I would ask for some to improve the façade of my home???