Home | Featured | Politics | After 102 days being Mayor, Kristen Brown makes right decision(s) - Kudos to her!

After 102 days being Mayor, Kristen Brown makes right decision(s) - Kudos to her!

Source: Posted: 11.Apr, 2012 01:48:00 | Last Accessed: 2013-05-23 05:54:42 |

42 Comments Article Rating:0 | Read: 2364 | New today: 1 | Mobile Version

Tagged: Kristen Brown, Police, Mayor Brown, Personal Use.

"Gasoline expenses are looked at by department not by vehicle. Last year Mayor Armstrong's vehicle used about $2600 in fuel, and his vehicle was used primarily for personal use. " - Kristen

Finally after 102 days in office Kristen Brown has started to show her intentions of her promise of change.

First with repealing the trash fees, and possibly instituting a recycling plan and now eliminating the use of city vehicles going home with city employees - with the exception of Fire and Police.

They can still use the vehicles for personal use in their gym shorts and grocery runs.

Kristen Brown said she was receiving complaints from the community about city vehicles being used for personal use outside of public safety.

This was reason enough for the new policy to be set in place. No personal use of City owned property and vehicles after hours.

All vehicles are still necessary for government operations; the City will not be eliminating any vehicles or employees. We should see an overall savings in the thousands from doing this in gasoline.

City employees can still take the vehicles home this month but starting May 1st, city property will not be used for personal use.

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Comments (42 posted)

Phil Swaim 11/04/2012 15:48:23

Wait, so you are saying this is the only good decision she has made in 102 days? you just got back to columbus a few weeks ago, didn't you?

Admin 11/04/2012 19:13:03

We mentioned more than one thing... and we talked as more, but named just a few.

-12

Caroline Clancy 11/04/2012 16:48:59

First of all, I hope the Mayor didn't actually say 'the Mayor Fred's vehicle'. It is grammatically incorrect and his name was Mayor Armstrong so it should have read either Mayor Armstrong's vehicle or Mayor Fred's vehicle, but not 'the Mayor's......'.

Second, how do you know it was used primarily for personal use. Did you follow him around?

He drove from meeting to meeting, starting out at his home and being on time for dozens of meetings each week - Chamber, Economic Development, County Commissioners, meetings with charitable organizations, etc. every day. Normally the Mayor's day ends after 5:00 pm.

And, if you check, the Mayor had his own personal vehicle for his personal use. $2600 per year amounted to a little more than $200 per month. I hope the $200 savings a month will allow Mayor Brown to actually get rid of the trash fee as was promised.

By the way he did drive his city vehicle to the Martin Luther King breakfast and the Chinese New Year's celebration, and the Chamber's annual meetings which he attended and was on time for.

And, one more question - is the Mayor taking the salary she said she wouldn't - I hear she is - just wondering???

-12

Admin 11/04/2012 19:15:30

Kristen did make the statement it was used "primarily for personal use" so I would gather she knows or wouldn't have made that statement.

Unknown Comment 11/04/2012 19:55:56

Why couldn't they arranged to have all these meetings Armstrong attended in one place? Instead of driving here and there. Via the internet by conference would be even better. Come on Kristen.WAKE THEM UP. Fantasy time is over boys and girls.

Unknown Comment 11/04/2012 19:50:27

Using ones own vehicle to get to work must be a new concept for some people. How will it feel to be one of us? Times they are a changing.

Caroline Clancy 11/04/2012 21:21:18

If you are talking about former Mayor Armstrong, you might ask him as he hasn't had a city vehicle for almost 4 months.

-16

Unknown Comment 11/04/2012 23:10:51

No I'm not. There is prudence in discernment and folly in assumption.

Politics 101 11/04/2012 20:52:18

Good decision by the Mayor on city owned vehicles. IMHO it does not go far enough but it is a good start. I still think the idea of every police officer having his/her own vehicle is a monumental waste of money in a community this size. She is rounding the curve somewhat making some of the tough decisions. We have a considerable distance to go but so far, so good.

I hope that as the Mayor becomes more comfortable in public and in speaking arrangements, we will have better communication.

Caroline Clancy 11/04/2012 21:18:42

Note to self - Mayor Brown's supporters are continuing to run against someone who didn't run for his 5th term. And, would still love to know how they KNOW that his vehicle was used for primarily personal business. No response on the fact that Mayor Brown doesn't attend meetings she is invited to. No response on the fact that her tardiness is known throughout Columbus and no response on whether or not she is taking her salary. Yep, they are all just happy having her as Mayor. Yep, the times they are a changing! Oh, by the way, my trash fee was on my water bill today - huh??

-18

Admin 12/04/2012 07:09:10

We've asked Kristen these questions, you've asked here, we know she reads Columbuzz but she doesn't feel anyone deserves and answer.

-16

Phil Swaim 12/04/2012 17:07:15

Caroline clancy
I know Mayor Fred drove that GMC SUV around for personal business. Everytime I saw him at the movie theatre, at an event, at someplace, I would see his SUV in the parking lot. It was given to him as a personal SUV to use for the Mayor. Similar to how the governor has a house, the mayor had a car.

You can also look at the mere expense of that car in gas alone. It was definitely a personal vehicle. Kristen is mayor now, I suppose she would also know the status and purpose of what was her vehicle for a month or two.

You just want a bone-picking hate fest against kristen brown. That's sad. Very sad.

Politics 101 12/04/2012 09:39:49

This administration is LESS transparent than the previous one. Judy Johns Jackson or the Mayor himself responded to every single issue/question that was asked. This Mayor has a "none of your business attitude." So much for unprecedented transparency.

-12

Phil Swaim 13/04/2012 11:29:59

Patently false statement. Infact, quite the opposite of what the current situation is.

Politics 13/04/2012 13:48:32

Patently false? Phil, are you drinking tea with Kristen again?

Where is the announcement about her new selection as Fire Chief COMPLETE with the details about the selection process like The Repugnant did for her selection of Police Chief?

Answer: There has not been one. Transparency? Hardly. She gets a D- for transparency Phil.

Excellent and above average marks in other areas but this is NOT her strong suit. I am still waiting for Council meetings to be streamed but, of course, when meetings are cat fights, it's probably not in our elected officials benefit to let us actually see and hear them in action.

-7

Phil Swaim 13/04/2012 16:47:22

The paper did detail. She had the same process as the police department. I don't know why, but she seemed to have found a qualified capable candidate in the person she chose. If the firemen have a problem with it, they will probably take it up with her. I personally do not have a problem with the fire chief that was chosen.

If you really want to know, I suppose you could always ask her for the detail second by second play by play report.

I do not think transparency is an issue yet. Although I sympathize with your statement about meetings being broadcasted via new media technologies. We need to get working on that. especially with hot council meetings like the ones we have had recently.

Remind me, because I have literally forgotten, what are your metrics in measuring transparency?

Administrator 13/04/2012 23:02:31

At least Phil Swaim did something besides sitting around talking about things. He got out there and worked for a candidate he believed in.

I applaud him for that.

It's a lot more than most people do.

-7

Brick Layer 14/04/2012 04:08:30

Actions do speek louder than words. Just as faith without deeds is what the apostle James called "dead faith".

Data Mann 12/04/2012 04:13:30

Guess I missed "that one", the fact that the present mayor is not supposed to take her salary !

In my opinion that the whole trash billing or not billing thing is silly. If someone cannot afford to pay for trash service they have much bigger problems than paying for trash collection.

Brick Layer 12/04/2012 22:14:56

What bigger problem would that be?

-6

Caroline Clancy 12/04/2012 10:06:07

Just to be clear on the salary for the Mayor - during her campaign she stated she did not need the Mayor's vehicle and did not need the Mayor's salary and would not be receiving the salary.

I just wonder if she is. Also, during the campaign, the candidates that now sit on the city council stated they were unhappy that the sitting council had voted a raise for council members. It is my understanding that none of them turned down the newer pay wage for council members.

And. as far as the trash fee is concerned, I don't mind paying it, but when the sitting Mayor and ALL the council members who ran for office were campaigning they ALL said it would be ended as soon as they took office - I just want to know why their campaign promises have not been kept.

-12

Joe Swaim 19/04/2012 22:49:34

Actually Caroline, I was the only Candidate who said that at the first council meeting would make a motion to end the second trash tax. All of the others said they would have to look into it or see if we could remove it. And the truth be known, there are a few council members who did not want to remove it. While it is definately hard to really evaluate someone in just 100 days, I would have to say that the mayor has done a lot of good things in just 100 days. We will see how the rest of the 4 years go.

Phil Swaim 12/04/2012 17:10:18

I remember her saying that the salary was definitely not a contributing factor in running for office, and she certainly was not running for the salary (because she said she did not need it). However, I do not recall her ever saying that she would refuse to take a salary. Ever.

If you can pull a video, text, or publication where she said that, please bring that forward. I personally do not remember it and I followed that election very very closely.

Sojourner Truth 12/04/2012 19:52:24

Will wonders never cease? Phil Swaim has finally got something right!

Kristen never said she would not take the salary. Phil has her statement pretty much accurate.

Her not-so-subtle point, of course, was to contrast her wealth and education, suggesting that Scalf was not of a proper class to be mayor. No matter that Kristen achieved her vaulted economic status working directly with corporate bandits defrauding billions of taxpayer dollars.

But she never actually pledged to forego a salary.

-6

Phil Swaim 13/04/2012 08:56:11

??? Thanks for the compliment, not so much.

Your comment only deserves a response of, "I'm not going to comment on it" But seriously. REALLY? You want to ravenously accuse Kristen of trying to make a point about her wealth and trying to put Priscilla down as an improper class citizen?

I would hate to know the mind of a person who defaults every statement of someone to mean something hideous and cruel for no reason. Something about hating people, ST, is that it only hurts the person who hates. I'll pray for you.

Sojourner Truth 13/04/2012 16:36:11

Save your prayers for yourself, Phil.

Your behavior in last year’s campaign (in particular, the jihad-style beheading graphic of the candidate YOU opposed) leaves you with NO standing to lecture others on this subject.

-5

Politics 101 13/04/2012 20:34:12

Phil was quite colorful during the election. His jihad graphic was reprehensible but he did take it down. He also showed up at the Commons to "sweep them out" LOL and who could forget the picture of him singing or cheering in his civil-war costume complete with top hat on Ted Ogle's arm with his friend Kristen?

-9

Phil Swaim 13/04/2012 16:48:47

So your hate is justified because I made a dire mistake (which I have apologized for)? Yes, I will still pray for you. Not just for your hate, but that you will not seek to justify your hate.

Sojourner Truth 13/04/2012 16:41:47

Speaking of which - have you ever extended any sort of apology to Priscilla Scalf for that reprehensible act, or do you still stand behind your actions?

-3

Phil Swaim 16/04/2012 13:46:58

I believe I made it public. I told Columbuzz that there was a miscommunication in the picture I put up. Certainly the message that was communicated was not the message intended at all (though a caption clearly indicated the message).

So I did indeed request an alternative photo which actually communicated my point. Columbuzz was happy to oblige. I also took down the photos and other photos altered of Scalf along with their posts. I believe I kept a few posts where I merely counter-pointed her vicious lies and seething comments about Kristen that were unwarranted and frankly made Columbus look like an ugly city.

So yes, amends have been made. Whatever damage was done has been done and cannot be undone. All I did was take responsibility and change things out and remove posts. Just like any other news and views organization should do, I made retractions, major retractions.

Walter Kurtz 16/04/2012 16:39:37

Yeah, right. We all think of Priscilla as "vicious" and "seething". Puh-leeeze.

-3

Phil Swaim 16/04/2012 19:00:07

Trust me. The state of Indiana was embarrassed by her. She really should have had a better campaign manager than her son. He was a loose canon. A say it first, clean it up later (or don't hopefully The Republic won't discover he lied). But again, you are who you surround yourself with. He's her son, so she cannot just disown him, but she should could have picked someone who would have run a clean positive campaign. Instead, most people had the bad taste in their mouth feeling when they read the paper, read her blog, or received mailers that were fabricated, mass distributed (to Republicans primarily) lies from her campaign. Again, better campaign management would have probably given her a better chance at being more palatable.

Transparancy 17/04/2012 12:24:54

So, in other words, the answer to ST's question is "No, I never apologized to Priscilla Scalf for distributing disgustingly graphic pictures of her headless body. I did explain to Columbuzz that people took the wrong meaning from that, though, and it's really her campaign manager's fault that I did it, anyway." That about right?

-2

Brick Layer 12/04/2012 23:03:19

You ever troll around on the internet?

Phil Swaim 12/04/2012 17:14:12

April is not a bad time for a trash fee to be removed. That's pretty close to the beginning of the term. I thought it was a bit naiive to say the first thing, but it is one of the first orders of business this council and mayor have tackled.

I think instead of criticizing that people did not keep their promises to the timeframe they thought they would be able to do it in, let's congratulate them and thank them for succeeding in keeping the promise within the first 100 days of office. Again, that's ridiculously quick for a NEW body and a NEW mayor to come into office, settle in, take care of HUGE issues and keep campaign promises like they said they would. I think it is a tremendous feat and it is a credit to our City that we have the talent and the great minds to get it done.

Not to mention we have people who love their city so much that they got it done too!

Caroline Clancy 12/04/2012 20:45:00

I stand corrected, if she didn't say she wouldn't take the salary then I am in error - my apologies, As far as the trash fee is concerned, my bill for April came in the mail and the trash fee is still on there - do I need to pay this since you say April is not a bad time for it to be removed?

Let's see the huge issues are - not spending $50 a month for a car, continuing the trash fee, and what to do with the money for the sports center that may or may not be paid back. Yes, some pretty big issues - I would say another big issue is not having the concensus with the new city council, and no one on the fire department that was qualified for the job of chief, but that's just me.

I will be quiet now and just sit back and watch - good luck to you all! I say to all those of you who voted for her and are sorry now ( and I personally have heard from many of you) - congratulations!

-14

Phil Swaim 13/04/2012 11:33:34

Ugh. I didn't mean that April would not have an item on it. If you have been following the news, the Trash tax is in its second reading for repeal. This happened in April, so that's why I said what I said. Yes, you probably still need to pay that bill.

I have not heard anyone say they are sorry they voted for this Mayor. I actually have heard more from Scalf supporters saying they don't know why they were so worried about Kristen as Mayor.

Brick Layer 12/04/2012 23:06:49

Why they sorry?

Politics 101 13/04/2012 09:22:26

Strange, isn't it? Mitch Daniels administration makes a half billion dollar tax mistake with money destined for local government. No doubt this helped fuel Kristen Brown (and other's) campaigns into City Halls around the state and now, magically, the money re-appears?!?!

-13

Brick Layer 13/04/2012 11:46:14

No it's not strange. The paper wrote an article about it and summed it up pretty darn good. The inability of proper accounting was pure STUPIDITY.

Politics 13/04/2012 13:45:13

Politically speaking BL, the lack of indignation from Mitch Daniels is telling. Mitch's relationship with people like Kristen who benefited, politically, from this mistake is noteworthy. Follow the money BL and follow the politics if you can.

-12

Brick Layer 13/04/2012 19:35:35

I don't do politics. When people ask me what party I feel associated to I answer I'm American. No matter who is running for an office I choose the one who seems to want to serve the people. Should they fail to meet that standard they fail to get my support. How long are we as a people going to just sit back and accept the lack of leadership this country has been suffering under for almost three quarters of a century. "We must all hang together or we will certainly hang seperately".

Currently we are hanging on seperately with each and every generation having less to hang on to.