News release from the Tim Smith for Mayor campaign:
Mayoral Candidate Tim Smith Statement City’s Contract Negotiation
“If we are going to accomplish something as a city, let’s at least get the contract documents right, let’s do a better job of holding accountable those who fail their end of the contract. Too many people have worked too hard for too long. The people of Fort Wayne deserve better and should expect more.”
(February 19, 2019) – Republican mayoral candidate Tim Smith today challenged Mayor Tom Henry and Councilman John Crawford to “dramatically improve” their work in negotiating contracts with private vendors and developers.
“If we are going to accomplish something as a city, let’s at least get the contract documents right, let’s do a better job of holding accountable those who fail their end of the contract. Too many people have worked too hard for too long. The people of Fort Wayne deserve better and should expect more.”
“The city paid way too much for the North River property and put the taxpayers at tremendous risk. Then, with Crawford’s support, the Henry Administration negotiated a contract with Red River Waste Solutions that failed to include a basic definition for ‘material breach’. This week we discover that the City’s contract with the Continental Property Group has failed and, as of now, there is no developer for the $62 million HIVE project, a project Councilman Crawford declared to be ‘a tipping point. As a citizen of Fort Wayne this news is extremely disappointing. If elected mayor finding a replacement developer will be a top priority and it will be done right.'”
Citizens of Fort Wayne should expect more from their elected leaders. Writing enforceable contracts and performing due-diligence is not new science—it’s common sense, and critical to get right when families, neighborhoods, and existing businesses are directly affected.
“The taxpayers and citizens of Fort Wayne must expect more from their elected leaders,” stated Smith. “For the largest employer of its kind in the world, MedPro, I regularly establish enforceable, meaningful contracts, I perform thorough due-diligence. It’s part of my job. If we are going to accomplish something as a city, let’s at least get the contract documents right, let’s do a better job of holding accountable those who fail their end of the contract. Too many people have worked too hard for too long. The people of Fort Wayne deserve better and should expect more.”
