NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- How much is New Albany's mayor spending to deal with the Silver Creek Dam?
The public isn't being told, and neither is the city council.
Requests to Mayor Jeff Gahan for information on how much he has spent on a lawsuit he initiated, and how much he spent doing emergency maintenance on the dam in Silver Creek, have gone unanswered.
Members of the city council are asking the same questions and getting nowhere. This week, the council approved a budget without knowing what the mayor has spent or intends to spend.
“This is taxpayer money, taxpayers have a right to know how much money has been spent on this,” said Council member Louise Gohmann during Monday's New Albany City Council meeting.
Councilmembers are talking about a lawsuit that centers around the proposed removal of the dam on Silver Creek. In 2020 the River Heritage Conservancy and Ecosystems Institute applied and were granted a permit to remove the dam on Silver Creek.
The city of New Albany, specifically the mayor's office, sued to stop it. After three years of litigation, not a single member of the New Albany City Council has any idea how much the mayor or his office has been spent defending this lawsuit.
Gahan's office claims that information is protected because the legal action is ongoing.
"So if we are protecting this information, and it could be $2 million, $3 million, $4 million dollars, we don't know, is it appropriate? Where’s the money coming from," an unidentified council member asked.
On Memorial day, 14-year-old AJ Edwards drowned in Silver Creek after falling from the dam the city is suing to keep in place.
The city council also wants to know how much the mayor spent in August when he ordered "emergency maintenance" to the dam on Silver Creek by dumping tons of rocks in the creek.
The Corps of Engineers and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources both say the work was done without proper permits.
The Corps of Engineers has since ordered the city to come up with a plan to restore the area.
"The City’s response will determine the next steps to resolve this violation, which may include referring the matter to the U.S. Attorney," the Corps said in a statement to WDRB.
The total city budget is $30 million. If Gahan has spent millions, one council member wants to know what the city could have used that money for, instead of defending a lawsuit and dumping rocks in a creek.
Previous Coverage:
- Court orders temporary injunction against New Albany to stay away from Silver Creek Dam
- New Albany misses deadline for Silver Creek Dam restoration plans amid controversy
- New Albany's mayor takes to social media to defend emergency work at Silver Creek Dam
- Federal government issues warning to New Albany mayor for 'emergency maintenance' at Silver Creek Dam
- Indiana DNR orders city of New Albany to stop emergency repair work at Silver Creek dam
- New Albany mayor proposes safety improvements at Silver Creek dam where teen drowned on Memorial Day
- Family of 14-year-old who drowned in Silver Creek joins renewed calls for removal of dam
- 14-year-old boy's Memorial Day death reignites controversy over future of Silver Creek dam
- 14-year-old boy found dead after swimming in Silver Creek, New Albany police say
- City of New Albany files lawsuit to stop removal of dam on Silver Creek
- New Albany to object to dam removal for southern Indiana parks project
- After burying son who drowned in Silver Creek, family wants action from New Albany leaders over dam
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