Campaign statement from Paula Hughes for Mayor:
Hughes Will Save Taxpayers’ Money on City Procurement
Online”Reverse eBay” System Will Help City Spend Less
(March 31, 2011) – Former Allen County Council President and leading Republican Fort Wayne mayoral candidate Paula Hughes, unveiled her plan to use internet-based reverse auctions to reduce procurement costs in the City of Fort Wayne.
A reverse auction switches the roles of buyers and sellers from a typical auction. In an ordinary auction, buyers compete to obtain a good or service, and prices increase over time. In a reverse auction, sellers compete to obtain business, and prices decrease over time. Reverse auctions became popular in the late 1990’s with the growth of the Internet.
“We need to come up with better ways to make government more efficient and cost-effective,” Hughes said. “Online reverse auctions will flip the purchasing roles for goods and services on its head. Taxpayers will benefit from increased competition for City business.”
Overall government spending has become the issue of starkest difference in the race for mayor.
“My opponents have made much about the virtues of spending,” Hughes said. “I believe we should be looking for ways to spend less of your money and find ways to stretch each dollar further. That is the difference in the mayoral election.”
Mayor Henry’s budgets and bonding projects have grown the city’s long-term debt significantly. Councilwoman Brown supported the mayor’s latest budget and has voted for large expenditures like the new Citizens Square. During the mayoral campaign, Mr. Doden has made it clear that he plans to spend the I&M settlement dollars on gap financing for projects that can’t garner enough support from the private sector alone.
Only Paula Hughes has advocated reducing the city debt, changing the way the city crafts its budgets and reducing bills that are out of line with other communities and states.
“Elections are about differences and the differences in this election are clear,” Hughes stated. “Fort Wayne residents can have business-as-usual in city government, a brand-new way of spending money, or they can elect me and have someone fighting for their rights as taxpayers.”
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