Commissioner asks parks board to explain $24 million bond after appointee reports unanswered questions

A Vanderburgh County commissioner on Sept. 24 asked the joint parks department and the parks director to meet with the county commissioners or provide written answers about a proposed $24 million bond, saying a county appointee said questions at a recent parks meeting were unwelcome. The commissioner asked staff to invite the parks director and the joint parks board to the commissioners’ next meeting or to provide written explanations. "Many folks know that all the parks are inside city limits that the joint department covers or debt is, managed outside of the joint parks department... everyone in the entire county ... you pay the exact same tax rate for this," the commissioner said, requesting greater transparency about who is responsible for the bond and how it affects county taxpayers. Commissioner Musgrave said the county law department had sent a letter dated Aug. 30, 2024, to eRep listing specific unanswered questions from the Aug. 13 presentation and requesting documentation and financial statements the contract requires; Musgrave said the county had not received a reply and asked that the letter be re-sent and that eRep or its representative Patrick Hickey return to answer the questions. The board directed county staff (Laura) to issue the invitation and to follow up on the law department’s letter.