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"Believe" - Tom Henry for Mayor
October 12, 2011
Today, the Tom Henry for Mayor campaign released a new television ad, "Believe." The spot contrasts Paula Hughes's attempt to twist the truth about city finances with Mayor Henry's record of keeping city finances strong -- holding spending flat every year and putting us on track to cut 40 percent of city debt by 2015.
| Can you believe Paula Hughes | |
| She supported tax increases for ten straight years | Hughes supported or voted for tax increases every year for ten years. For a full list of tax increases go tohttp://therealpaula.com/images/8-25-11_Hughes_Ten_Years_of_Taxes_1_.pdf |
| And newspapers prove the city's debt is only half the amount Paula Hughes and her political backers claim | Utility Debt The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette recently noted, "Actually, city government’s debt is only about half that amount. The other half is in City Utilities, the separate city-owned business that operates the city water and sewer systems."[1] State Pension Obligations To get to her half a billion debt figure Hughes now also cites a $88.8 million pension liability as the city's, but when questioned by the Journal Gazette, “Hughes acknowledged that number is not a city liability.”[2] The Journal Gazette explained that "It’s an accounting change, not additional debt. In 2008, the General Assembly voted for the state to assume cities’ obligation for pensions of public safety officers hired before 1977."[3] |
| That's because Tom Henry has kept city spending flat | As the Journal Gazette recently noted: "Solid city finances," Editorial, Journal Gazette, 7/14/2011 ...the overall picture is one that would make officials in many other Indiana cities envious....Last year’s actual spending of $175.9 million was essentially flat with 2009 – an increase of less than 1 percent. Just as importantly, the city spent nearly $5 million less than budgeted, adding to city reserves. At the end of 2010, the city’s general fund held $19.7 million in reserves. |
| To cut existing debt by 40% in four years | "2010 CAFR and City Finances Executive Summary," Ft. Wayne City Controller, 7/12/2011 "Once these issues are accounted for, the city ended 2010 with a net liability of around $176.5 million, down $13.2 million from 2009’s $189.8 million. Between 1/1/2011 and 12/31/2015 the city will pay off an additional $73.77 million in principal on outstanding bonds."
"City debt enters mayoral debate," Lanka, Journal Gazette, 8/21/2011 "Henry has said more than 40 percent of the civil city’s debt – not including City Utilities – will be paid off by 2015. Hughes has promised to cut 24 percent of all city debt by the end of her first term." |
| Tom Henry's doing what's right for Fort Wayne's future | |
| While Paula Hughes just keeps twisting the truth | |
Henry for Mayor