Responses from Alderman Oberkfell - Clarifications By Request of Citizen

I have always had the policy of posting clarifications to the site if someone finds false information that I post here for others to read. It allows for the most accurate information since I'm a one man show and cannot check every fact. I struggled with whether or not I should post this as it seems as if this could go back and forth all day.

Clarifications to the responses from Alderman Oberkfell on http://worldasiknowitnow.blogspot.com/2011/03/responses-from-alderman-oberkfell.html Levi Otwell’s blog The World As I Know It Now

Question in Black, Oberkfell in red, clarifications underlined.

15. Do you support the fire department merging with the rural fire district? The rural is actually merging with the city fire department. How will the merger improve the department for city and rural residents? Does it benefit the city? The merger would benefit the city by allowing the department to work on better response times, consolidate financial resources and equipment, and allows for additional specialized training.

The city does not have a fire district so it is impossible for the rural district to merge with a city fire district. The City petitioned to Join the Rural Fire District

16. Will you vote for aldermen to receive a pay increase again in the next election cycle in light of the budget issues we face as a city? No, I have not supported an increase in the 4 years I have held office, and would continue to not support any increases. Again, due to the recent economic hardships, most citizens are cutting back financially and the city should not be exempt from such practices.

Look at Ordinance 2695 Nov. 18, 2008 Alderman Oberkfell voted in favor of Aldermanic pay increases http://www.columbiaillinois.com/documents/Ordinances/2008%20Ordinances/2695_Elect_Official_Salary_4_09.PDF

3. Why do you deserve to be given a second chance at facing the challenges of the city given that the city continues to have budget concerns and that commercial growth seems to have become stagnant over the course of your term as aldermen?

I have recognized that the city does in fact have budget concerns. I have found ways to cut spending and will continue to do so when elected. I have to disagree with you, though, in that commercial growth has become stagnant over the past 4 years. In fact, we now have a Main Street that is flourishing with many new businesses, we now have a hotel in Columbia, CVS is now in a new bigger building, we are expecting a Dollar store to open in the near future, Dollar general is building a new and larger facility, Quality Collision is building a larger facility and will be selling used luxury vehicles, Gillians rehabbed a historical building and moved to the larger facility, Maverick Technologies built a large state of the art facility....and the list continues.

When asked why he voted to not pay the bills he said the city is spending too much

When asked what department or what line item

He had no answer just the city was spending too much. He did not share the ways he found to cut spending

He voted no on the building materials for Gillan Graphics without the other yes votes the building may not have been remodeled.

He voted no on the building materials for Dollar general without the other yes votes they would not have built a new building.

He voted no on the incentive package for the Hampton Hotel without the incentives they would not have built in Columbia

Maverick Technologies was approved before he was on the council but he has said he would never support the incentives used for maverick technologies

CVS is in a TIF district and he said he is opposed to TIF districts

Without the other yes votes to override Alderman Oberkfell negative votes most of the development he is taking credit for would not have been approved

Columbia Voter and Property Owner in Ward III
Kevin Hutchinson

I'm not sure I agree with the last bit Kevin shared. It doesn't seem Brad was taking credit for the new commercial growth, rather Brad was just saying that my question contained false information since commercial growth was in fact not stagnant as I stated it was while he was aldermen. I'll reserve opinion over this "clarification". I stand by my long standing opinion that communication is the main issue facing the council.