Why transparency should be the most important voting issue on August 25
On Oct 24, 2016, the mayor ended the council meeting by thanking members for their 21-months of work to help city schools, “which may have escaped public notice.” The council had just approved a $110 million bond and tax package they would later divide among the schools, parks and the police.
The council, park and school board members had spent those 21 months huddled with B.L. Harbert to come up with a spending plan for the $110 million. There is no paper trail of this work. The council president later established a task force to continue decisionmaking behind closed doors. When the task force came apart in March, the mayor said “It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
These are the only public mentions leading up to loan and tax passage:
Nov. 16, 2015 - The council authorized the mayor to sign a Bond Underwriting Agreement with Merchant Capital for “investigating possible Board of Education and Park Board needs.” The mayor, asked after the meeting, said the city was preparing for a school board request to assist with a possible high school relocation.
Aug. 8, 2016 - The council moves the next regular meeting —and mayor’s budget presentation—to Aug. 29, after the city election.
City election held Aug. 23, 2016
Aug. 29, 2016 - The city announces the $4.5 M purchase of 15 acres adjacent to West Homewood ballfields that will be open for redevelopment of the city’s ballparks and rumored high school relocation.
Sept. 27, 2016 - The schools and park & rec superintendents hold a public forum at the high school to propose relocating the high school to the West Homewood park and also expand and renovate the ball fields. B. L. Harbert plan is presented and posted on the school system’s website.
Oct. 10 & 17, 2016 - The council sets a public hearing on Oct. 24 on a “request for increased school and park funding.” The matter is referred to the Oct. 17 finance committee meeting along with “redeeming the city’s 2007 and a portion of the 2012 general obligation warrants.”
Oct. 24, 2016 - 1-cent sales tax and $110M bond is approved.
New council sworn in Nov. 7, 2016
December-March, 2017 — The council president excludes all four new council members and Patrick McClusky and Barry Smith from any bond and bid deliberations. By avoiding a quorum this way, he calculates to sidestep state Open Meetings laws.
March 20, 2017 — Task force dismantled in wake of unfairness complaints by bidder Hoar Program Management. Some new members refuse to vote.