Reader upset with city issues



I’m more than a little upset with some of the things I see that are being done in and around this city by the mayor and councils.

For instance, the way they elected this new school superintendent, Mr. Steven Daeschner. That was totally backroom politics. There’s no way this man is worth putting this city in the hole to pay his exorbitant salary. There is no way that he should be paid $225,000 a year, making him the highest paid superintendent in the whole state.

This city cannot afford these kinds of salaries. I totally agree with the letter that was in the paper recently. Mayor Tom Galligan said we should not look at the money — or words to that effect — when asked about this salary. Someone had better look at those salaries, because someone is going to have to find the money to pay them — most notably the taxpayers of Jeffersonville!

The last time Mr. Galligan was mayor, he bankrupted this city by spending what he wanted, on what he wanted, and when he wanted. He then gave former Mayor Rob Waiz the devil for not spending on things this city needed. Mr. Galligan, he could not. You spent all before he was elected. To me, it looks like you’re at it again — $3 million that is above what the property tax cap law says this city can tax the people in this city.

Next, if I’m not mistaken, state law says that “anyone moving in to our state has 30 days to get Indiana license plates.” On Gail Drive, I can count no less than six or seven Kentucky plates parked at the apartments there. Why aren’t they fined?

Why are those on the council fighting to abolish the recycling fees for these people? What is the definition of an apartment?

They are nothing more than row houses, having one, two and three bedrooms. They should not be dropped from the recycling plan. Make them pay, just as all of us who own our homes or rent them.

Another thing that’s upsetting me, and the rest of those on a fixed income: Where are we supposed to get the money to pay the extra taxes you all want to charge us?

We pay taxes to have our garbage picked up. We pay taxes to have the trash picked up. New Albany, a city smaller than Jeffersonville, gives each and every household one of those large 60-gallon trash cans. Jeffersonville charges a $60 fee, and mandates that all, even those who cannot afford one, have to buy one. All because you, Mr. Galligan, wanted to buy a new garbage packer truck, at a cost of $250,000.

Several years ago, you and the councils forced us all to pay an extra $3.50 to pay for rainwater that was running off our property in order to help pay for sewer upgrades. Now you are getting ready to double our sewer bill, and maybe even triple it. For what? Just so you can declare eminent domain on a small sewer plant that’s not even in our city, and take it over.

Lastly, we have an intersection ramp — coming off Court Avenue and Seventh Street and getting onto the access road to Interstate 65 — that needs a yield sign, and the striping needs to be cut off and restriped to show that that ramp is a merging lane, not the main lane, before someone gets hurt there.

Those coming up that lane do not stop and cross over into the two lanes coming off the Second Street Bridge, and crowd those already in the lane to swerve or slam on their brakes to avoid hitting them.

— Clifford L. Owens, Jeffersonville



Town of Utica not enforcing ordinances



Utica is struggling with the same problem that Sellersburg, New Albany, Jeffersonville, Clarksville and many other communities are struggling with. They all seem to have elected officials that do not do their job or understand what their job responsibilities are.

It is disappointing to have a board member say “he is not going to tell people how to live,” when it’s his responsibility to enforce town ordinances that were enacted to help people live together and not infringe on other’s rights.

The town of Utica has ordinances that previous boards have put in place that have not been enforced. The board’s purpose is to guide people in living together as a community.

We have industrial and business operations being carried on in residential areas. We, in fact, have a junk yard next door to the town hall. You can find a refrigerator along with other junk on the front porch of a home in a residential area. If you drive around Utica, you can readily see the problem.

It is not a matter of catering to “the rich” — there are no rich people living in Utica, there are just people who have worked to make their life what it is. Most people want to improve their life and their environment. Some do not want to change and do not have respect for others; they do not understand why there is a problem with parking used junk cars, boats, and firewood in their yard. It doesn’t bother them, why should it bother anyone else?

It is gratifying that some of the present board is taking action. As a resident of Utica, all I want is that the board does the job it was elected to do. Any board member that cannot accept this responsibility should resign.

Utica is a great town and will develop faster when the Interstate 265 junction ties into Utica. It is my hope that we will be able to elect people to the board who will have the ability to lead the town forward and grow the town.

— David Evanczyk, Utica