FIVE REASONS TO NOT RE-ELECT HUGHES

The following editorial appeared in the Thurs edition of Register Publications:

In the 2006 election year, the citizens of Dearborn County proclaimed their dissatisfaction with our county government by soundly rejecting the only incumbent commissioner up for election and electing Ralph Thompson. This was a good first step toward re-establishing a bond of trust between the citizens and the courthouse, but only a first step.

For the past 15 months, Commissioners Jeff Hughes and Rick Fox, with their 2/3 majority, have stymied reform efforts and continued the “business as usual” practices that are at the heart of most citizen’s disillusionment. There is a golden opportunity to resolve this unfortunate situation on Primary Election day, Tuesday, May 6.

I offer 5 excellent reasons why we cannot afford to re-elect incumbent candidates Jeff Hughes or Rick Fox.

Reason 1: The Dearborn County Regional Sewer District (DCRSD).

On November 15, 2005, they expanded the powers of DCRSD to county-wide jurisdiction without advance notice or public discussion, in apparent violation of Indiana’s Open Door Law.

They recently appointed an Ohio resident insurance salesman with absolutely no sewer credentials to the DCRSD board without advertising the opening and potentially attracting local candidates with credentials. The appointee cannot vote in Dearborn County but he will decide if you get sewers.

The DCRSD monster they have created and empowered is at this moment in the act of jamming ordinances down our throats to force sewer hook-ups, mandate availability fees for those who escape hook-ups, require $25 per day fines for those who do not cooperate and finally, sue you if you don’t comply. All the while Jeff Hughes and Rick Fox continue to profess “we don’t like forced sewer hook-ups”.

And with a DCRSD board including developers and a real estate salesman, any decision on sewer expansion is automatically suspect as to whose benefit those proposed sewers will serve. The Dearborn County Council has already chastised DCRSD once for ignoring the existing health issues they were conceived to correct while requesting taxpayer funds for sewers to aid development.

Reason 2: The Dearborn County proposed Land Use Map.

Jeff Hughes and Rick Fox tabled (killed) the proposed Land Use Map, bowing to special interests and ignoring the majority will of the people. With the lame excuses, they discredited and insulted the Department of Planning and Zoning, the Planning Commission, the scores of civic-minded citizens who labored for hundred’s of hours over a two year period and the large numbers of the public who sacrificed their time to attend the many public reviews and offer their comments and suggestions. As a detached and objective local newspaper editor eloquently published, “what a load of crap”.

Reason 3: Vieste

For their direct involvement in the Vieste debacle and the resultant “Northwest Quadrant” nightmare.

Reason 4: Fiscally irresponsible high density development.

For their continuing record of approving zone changes to allow almost exclusively high density urban development. These congested developments continue to choke the rural life from the county. Their decisions increase our property taxes to expand the county services these developments require but their low tax base cannot support.

They shift the responsibility for their decisions to the Planning Commission which recommends the zone changes while the majority votes on that commission are their own appointees.

Reason 5: The poor general operation of the county government process and disdain for the public.

Mandating citizens sign up to speak on issues of the upcoming commissioners meetings before the issues are ever made public is ludicrous. So is publishing final agenda for the meetings virtually at meeting time, barely passing the legal requirements of the Indiana Open Door Law and mocking its intent. These actions guarantee limited opportunity for the public to exercise their legal right to involvement in the process.

They invite an armed deputy to the commissioners meetings which creates an atmosphere of intimidation and inhibits public involvement. And I must correct County Administrator Brian Messmore for stating in his recent guest column that Indiana law requires a deputy at commissioners meetings. IC 36-2-2-15 clearly states a “county sheriff or county police officer shall attend the meetings of the executive, if requested by the executive” (commissioners). The deputy is only there because Jeff Hughes and Rick Fox have reason to believe they require one, a sorry comment on the relationship between themselves and the public.

Rick Fox is running unopposed in the upcoming primary election. Jeff Hughes, however, is opposed by Kathy Scott, who has professed three campaign themes, honesty, fairness and persistence. She also has an excellent philosophy concerning sewers for our health rather than others’ wealth. Scott stands for open government.

I recommend we take this opportunity to add the second voice that will bring about real reforms in county government and place our trust in Kathy Scott on May 6.


Chet Wolgamot
Manchester Township