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City officials hinting that proposed legislation to increase government transparency hampers economic development and leans toward micromanagement by the City Council have only themselves to blame.
There are too many recent instances where the city administration needed to be more forthcoming with details about how the city was spending public dollars on professional contracts. Council members are right to ask for greater disclosure from Mayor Tom Henry’s administration and appear prepared to make reasonable allowances to protect economic development efforts.
Councilwoman Liz Brown, R-at large, proposed legislation requiring the city administration to share more information with the Fort Wayne City Council about city consultant contracts. Currently, the law requires council approval only for contracts of more than $100,000 per year. Otherwise, council members might never know the identities of consultants, lobbyists, attorneys or other professionals the city is hiring and compensating with public dollars.
The ordinance, introduced in June and discussed Tuesday, requires the administration to create a monthly list of professional-service contracts for the council. Council members decided to table the legislation until a future meeting.
Deputy Mayor Greg Purcell claimed the proposal would create extra work for city employees and would hamper economic development efforts.
City Council members and residents have no interest in making it more difficult for economic development officials to make deals that will lure attractive companies and jobs to Fort Wayne. Most people understand that sometimes discretion about when to release information about a potential deal is beneficial. But, ultimately, the public always has a right to know how government is spending public dollars.
The city’s three-year contract with High Performance Government Network for $95,000 annually is a good example. The contract fell just under the threshold for council approval, and half the money was paid in the first three months of the contract to help cover start-up costs for the consulting company run by former city employees.
Council members also point to the city’s contract with NOVI Energy to help with the City Light lease for $95,000 and the money the city has spent on consultants and attorneys concerning the issue of bringing a casino to Fort Wayne.
Earlier this year the mayor announced he hired Third House Advocacy Group LLC of Indianapolis for $32,000 to study the economic effect of gambling. But Henry didn’t bother to announce that the city hired legal firms to lobby for a casino referendum.
A city contract with Krieg DeVault of Indianapolis was for $3,000 per month for a year. The city also hired a Cincinnati firm for $3,000 a month for 14 months, plus an upfront payment of $15,000.
Government transparency is not a threat to local economic development. The Henry administration needs to make a bigger priority of keeping the council and public informed about how it is spending public dollars. The legislation will very likely help.
