Did Evans and Adams violate Open Door Law?

Did Commissioner Evans authorize the suspension of two animal shelter employees in a telephone conversation with Commissioner Adams during a meeting with the two animal shelter employees? If so, a law was broken. The only question left is which law? Either Adams and Evans violated Indiana's Open Door Law or Evans "participated in final action" without statute. The argument that Adams "just checked in with Evans for guidance" is void if Evans voted on a disciplinary action. Does a statute exist that authorized Evans to vote?

The NWI Times posted an article where County Council President, Dan Whitten, "questioned whether Adams violated the state's Open Door Law by allowing a second commissioner - Evans - to take part by telephone in her discussion with the two shelter employees without calling an official meeting."

Indiana Code 5-14-1.5 is quite clear when it states that a meeting "means a gathering of a majority of the governing body of a public agency for the purpose of taking official action upon public business" and that an executive session can be held "with respect to any individual over whom the governing body has jurisdiction to receive information concerning the individuals alleged misconduct" there are requirements to post a notice to an executive session. The requirements read that "Public notice of executive sessions must state the subject matter by specific reference to the enumerated instance or instances for which executive sessions may be held under subsection" and Commissioner Evans and Commissioner Adams posted no such notice.

In regards to Evans being present via telephone, the law reads that "A member of the governing body of a public agency who is not physically present at a meeting of the governing body but who communicates with members of the governing body during the meeting by telephone, computer, videoconferencing, or any other electronic means of communication (1) may not participate in final action taken at the meeting unless the member's participation is expressly authorized by statute; and (2) may not be considered to be present at the meeting unless considering the member to be present at the meeting is expressly authorized by statute."

Where is the statute?

 

Commissioner Adams takes gift from DLZ and awards county contracts to DLZ in the same month

Porter Commissioner, Nancy Adams, and her husband were flown to a Republican dinner by DLZ. Earlier in the month she voted to award DLZ two county contracts worth $285,000. 

The May 16th NWI Times article, detailing Adams actions, points out that "the county personnel policy manual prohibits elected officials from accepting and donors from offering any gift, favor, service or entertainment under circumstances in which it can be reasonably inferred the gift would influence special consideration by the official."

On her campaign web site Adams claimed that she would we be "guided by ... Accountability to the Citizens of Porter County and our partners at all levels of government to conduct our business responsibly, ... and to report how we are spending the tax dollars that the Citizens entrust to our stewardship."

Porter County needs to hold Commissioner Adams accountable.

UPDATE: Days after the Times revealed Adams violation of county policy, Adams has apologized via Facebook and has vowed she "did not think this through thoroughly"  and in the Times claims she was unaware the county personnel policy manualprohibits elected officials from accepting and donors from offeringany gift, favor, service or entertainment under circumstances. Being "unaware" is no excuse when the law has been broken. Anyways, what politician is not aware that kick backs are illegal?

Hoosier GOPs want to raise taxes on businesses!

Less than a week after the election Mitch Daniels has declared that benefits will have to be cut for people who are out of work. In addition Daniels said that unemployment insurance TAXES ON BUSINESSES will have to be RAISED.

Republicans cutting benefits and raising taxes.

Valpo Republican Mailer Footnote Source Is a Quote From Their Own Co-chair

Clearly, Commissioner Harper has "opposed putting an income tax on the people of Porter County" so the Valparaiso Republicans mailer stating that Harper has "remained silent" on the issue of income taxes is an obvious attempt to dupe the residents of Porter County.

The Valparaiso Republicans claim that Commissioner Harper "failed us" citing the Northwest Indiana Times October 8, 2010 newspaper in an attempt to make their claim that "Harper stood by and watched as Porter County increased the income tax on hardworking families. He actually skipped the meeting when the vote was taken" look authentic in a mailer sent to Porter County Residents this week.

The problem with the source is that they are referring to a QUOTE OF THE VALPARAISO REPUBLICAN PARTY CO-CHAIR in a NWI Times article that beings to question the validity of the Valparaiso Republican Party's own failed "peapod" mailer!

In the October 8, 2010 NWI Times article "GOP, Harper debating accuracy of campaign ad" the Valparaiso Republican co-chair, Michael Simpson, FALSELY claims that "Harper also remained silent in May 2005 when the County Council doubled the county income tax, in part, to cover the county's $3.5 million annual dues as a member of the RDA"

Yet, In the April 26, 2005 meeting minutes for the Porter County Council, Commissioner Harper clearly states "I didn’t vote for the CEDIT tax, and in fact, I opposed putting an income tax on the people of Porter County, and I was very vocal about that. And further, I am vocal about putting any further income taxes on the people of Porter County." In addition, Harper was present at the May 2005 commissioners and county council meetings so I am not sure exactly what meeting
Harper missed when "the vote was taken."

It is disheartening that the Valparaiso Republican Party is mailing out misinformation about Commissioner Bob Harper and they must be held accountable.

Two Peas in a Pod??? A far fetched mailer from the Valparaiso Republican Party

The Valparaiso Republican Party has run out of ways to inflate the resume of Nancy Adams so they have resorted to spreading misinformation about Commissioner Bob Harper.

A recent mailer sent out by the Valparaiso Republicans falsely claims that "Higher Taxes and Bigger Government are the Bob Harper Way" and that "Barack Obama and Bob Harper are two peas in a pod."

Commissioner Bob Harper has a long track record of supporting property tax CAPS. Way back in 2006, Commissioner Harper was cited in the NWI Times as supporting property tax caps to the point of sending "out 1,800 letters asking members of the Association of Indiana Counties to rethink the association's anti-tax cap action stance."

In addition, Harper has clearly proven he is against "Bigger Government" by not supporting the Regional District Authority (RDA) or the Regional Transit District (RTD).

The Valparaiso Republicans also claim that Bob Harper "supports President Obama's government takeover of healthcare" and cited the October 23, 2009 Chesterton Tribune as their source for this claim. The problem is that the article Valparaiso Republican Party is referring to NEVER MENTIONS BOB HARPER!

Anyways, anyone that knows the difference between local and federal politics is aware that Bob Harper cannot vote in the Senate or the House so the  health insurance reform bill is not an issue in the Porter County Commissioner's race. 

Maybe the Valparaiso Republicans are hoping that the residents of Porter County haven't read any local newspapers in the last several years so they won't be able to point out the blatant errors in the mailer...

3rd Time is NOT the charm: Adams mailer lacks substance

Has Adams really "led the fight for real property tax reform"?

Apparently, the Valparaiso Republicans didn't see that the Committee to elect Nancy Adams omitted the claim that Adams "led the fight for real property tax reform" from their second mailer, since the Valparaiso Republicans put this claim in a mailer they sent out on behalf of Nancy Adams for Porter County Commissioner which is the third Adams mailer I have received in the past month.


The Valparaiso Republican mailer reads, "When Porter County residents were hit with massive property tax increases, Nancy Adams took action, forming a group of 600 concerned citizens that led the fight for real property tax reform." The mailer fails to mention that this group LOST their misguided fight with the DLGF! In addition, Nancy did not form the group, her HUSBAND did. It seems like Adams didn't lead any fight but, instead, was involved in a lost battle.

Does Adams have the "experience" Porter County needs?

If Adams uses the phrase "led the fight" so loosely, I am led to wonder if she uses the term "experience" in the same way. The Valparaiso Republican mailer claims that Nancy has "proven business expertise." I would like to see her resume since the controller of the business she and her husband owns stole from Strongbow Inn for quite some time before they even noticed in 2009. Prior to the business her in-laws sold to her husband, Russ Adams, and herself in the past couple of decades, what is her "experience"? I prefer facts and numbers instead of terms and phrases used loosely.

 ANOTHER MAILER ERROR


In addition to misleading statements in the mailer, a word is omitted from the last sentence of the second paragraph. Do you know where the word "an" goes in the following sentence?

Nancy supports a permanent cap on property taxes to ensure homeowners don't lose their home to unfair taxing system.

I may not have perfect spelling or grammar but I am not claiming I have enough "experience" to run the county. This is the second error in an Adams mailer so far. Minor errors in paperwork can lead to big problems for Porter County. (Just ask our currently elected auditor!)

Porter County residents should elect a Commissioner with PROVEN experience and leadership. Nancy Adams is not that person.

Additional questions raised in Nancy Adams' second mailer

The second mailer I received came from the Committee to Elect Nancy Adams Yesterday. The most far fetched sentence in the mailer is that "She knows what it takes to create jobs, manage budgets, and spend every dollar wisely" since Russ and Nancy Adams didn't catch an employee, whom they had hired in 1998 as their controller, stealing money from their business until 2009. I don't see missing an employee stealing money for up to a DECADE as spending every dollar wisely or managing a budget. In addition, since this employee was controller for Strongbow Inn from 1998 until 2009, how can Nancy Adams claim to have the experience required to "spend every dollar wisely"? 

Porter County residents cannot afford to have an inexperienced commissioner.