NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) — For more than a year, New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan's Office has declined to answer questions about how much public money has been spent on the Providence Mill Dam — a site where a teenager drowned and where the city later added and then removed rock from the waterway.
Despite repeated requests from WDRB News, the mayor’s office has not released any information on legal fees, construction, or repairs related to the project.
During Thursday night’s New Albany City Council meeting, WDRB’s Richard Essex signed up for public comment as a last resort — seeking answers the public still hasn’t received.
WDRB's Richard Essex speaks before New Albany councilmembers during a meeting Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (WDRB photo)
“The emergency maintenance that was done by the mayor's office about a year and-a-half ago has been undone,” Essex told the council. “The remaining question we’ve been asking for at least a year and-a-half is how much money has been spent on the Providence Mill Dam.”
Since August 2024, WDRB has filed three public records requests — with the mayor’s office, the city clerk and the city attorney — all of which have gone unanswered.
When Essex asked again in person, he received only one written statement from the city. In November, he ran into Mayor Jeff Gahan at an event for Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, where Gahan offered a brief comment:
“The dam is fixed. The litigation is going on for a number of years. I'm looking forward to its resolution. We have some mediation scheduled after three and-a-half years.”
Thursday night, Samantha Baumgart Reeve, representing Hoosier Action, told the council that the mayor’s silence undermines public trust.
“This is not responsiveness, and refusal to engage with constituents is undemocratic,” Reeve said. “Our chapter's goal is to get answers for our members and the community about our tax dollars — and to hear the mayor's vision for the future.”
Reeve said her group has also invited Gahan to meet, but he has not responded.
Several council members told WDRB they don’t have information to share either, and that they too have not been briefed by the mayor on the project’s cost.
For now, taxpayers — and their elected council — are still waiting for answers that may never come.
Previous Coverage:
Crews begin removing Providence Mill Dam on Silver Creek in New Albany
New Albany granted extension to remove tons of rock from Providence Mill Dam
New Albany reaches settlement over Silver Creek dam dispute
New Albany petitions Indiana Supreme Court to hear Providence Mill Dam case
New records reveal New Albany spent more than $124K on controversial Silver Creek Dam work
Fight between city, Indiana DNR over dam in New Albany returns to court
Legal battles, safety concerns fuel controversy over low head dams in southern Indiana
Indiana DNR asking courts to take action against New Albany over Silver Creek dam
New Albany councilmembers continue battle with mayor over money spent on Silver Creek dam
New Albany mayor misses deadline to restore Silver Creek dam twice
Court orders temporary injunction against New Albany to stay away from Silver Creek Dam
Indiana DNR orders city of New Albany to stop emergency repair work at Silver Creek dam
New Albany mayor authorizes emergency maintenance at Silver Creek dam where teen drowned
Family of 14-year-old who drowned in Silver Creek joins renewed calls for removal of dam
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