FAUXHOPE
The citizens of Fairhope need to realize that all the infrastructure problems and electrical and water shortages are the result of neglect during the, Tim Kant, Can’t administration, 2000 to 2016. The second thing is that the same council as today with the exception of Cory Martin were on the council under Kant. Sherry Sullivan worked under Kant. The problems Fairhope has today were predicted years ago.
The irony is, the same individuals want to blame the last administration, which had the same do nothing council. During the Wilson administration, 2016/2020, the council slowed down or denied infrastructure projects and the digging of new needed wells. Their actions were 100% politically motivated and now the quality of life, Fairhope once had, is slipping away.
This council enjoys full medical insurance on top of their salary. The Mayor is a double dipper, thanks to the council. She gets a check for being Mayor and a check for heading up utilities. She has no experience with utilities, think about that.
Never mind the fact that our infrastructure is maxed out; and that each project will cost taxpayers millions. It will negatively impact your quality of life. School enrollment will balloon. Residents will experience lengthy commute times, snarled traffic and subsequent road rage. These efforts disregard the outcome of the election. Also, the Mayor is putting a few city employees in the precarious position of possibly losing their jobs. The question is: “Will the employees become lemmings and follow him off the cliff?”
That is exactly the situation Fairhope tax payers find themselves in today. The Mayor wants the property at the Airport in the name of the City of Fairhope. The Airport Authority wants the city to appropriate the tax dollars, 310,000 a year, to pay down the 8 million dollar debt and leave the property in the name of the Authority.
Council President Jack Burrell has been adamant that the Authority have ownership. He has provided no plan— only a fluff power point presentation that said absolutely nothing. The Authority has been receiving 500,000 dollars a year for 6 years and paid very little on the principal. He has no plan, or we have yet to be let in on just what Jack’s plan is for the Airport. The property should be a direct asset of the City and be in the City’s ownership.
It’s all part of a total re-vamp costing $11 million dollars. Fairhope chose to spend extra money on the latest in filtration systems. The feds and the state didn’t require the system but they installed it anyway.
The truth is it cost over 13 million and not one damn dime was spent on transmission lines. The council turned down a proposal to move the sewer plant from the bay inland for around 20 million.
On August 28th 2017 I attended a Fairhope City Council meeting with the intent of addressing the City Council during public participation. I have done this many times over the last 10 years, however this time the Council President, Jack Burrell refused to allow me to speak. GO TO 1:00 MARK
To that end, Sullivan said, the city is bringing two new wells online to help ease the pinch from increased demand.
“We’re digging test wells right now,” she said. “We haven’t had any new wells in the last 15 years.”
The original cost for the bridge was at 2.1 billion dollars. It is now estimated to cost closer to three billion due to inflation. The tolls will be used to pay off that debt according to Burrell. “Once it’s paid for, we also have it in writing that once it’s paid for the tolling will expire.”
ORIGINALLY Mr Burrell bragged about the bridge costing 600 million now we are at 3 billion. Burrell said no federal money and no tolls will build the bridge, all false.
It should scare the hell out of you that Jack Burrell has anything to do with the bridge. Mr Burrell has cost Fairhope taxpayers millions and has not got one significant project completed.
The one common denominator in all the stories above is Jack Burrell and the do nothing city council. They, along with the Mayor were supported and financed by CATALYST and developers, and they have pledged to “embrace” development and they are doing just that.
Fairhope’s quality of life has diminished greatly in the last few years. Fairhope will be FAUXHOPE until the good ole boy “Catalyst” council and Mayor are replaced with public servants.