Smithgall not the only outspoken critic of Gray
I cannot believe this man. After Rick Gray won election to his first term, he was intimidating at every Convention Center, City Council, and at County meetings, pushing for the Convention Center as needed to revitalize the city.
He pushed for the music academy and is pushing the residents out of the area around F & M with his high paying Public Works director that does not even go to Council with suggestions, just does her thing with absolutely no concern for the long time residents that are moving off of College, Race and Buchanan.
The majority of the city employees did not vote for Gray as they said he is paying big salaries to a few and spending on projects that are for the good of some and not for the whole city. This man both spends and taxes and the city cannot absorb the cost any longer.
The one company garbage franchise has only cost the city and its residents. He fixed something that was not broke.
The permit fees that he waived for the CC, LGH and the Music Academy were in the millions.
The city could have used this money. Outsourcing in areas of service of the city has become more expensive than reported.
Reassessment of Boscovs is just the start of Park City. Bon Ton got a sweetheart deal with their expansion.
He is griping about the parking when it was a problem before the Penn Square Partners’ project and is a larger one now. Small businesses cannot exist due to no foot traffic as he promised when pushing the Penn Square Partners’ project. Businesses should have come FIRST before millions were committed to Penn Square.
The city bought heavy concrete flower pots for the corners. They are not planting in them due to the expense. Why even buy the pots in the first place?
If he would get out and collect what is due to the city from some of the BIG property owners that are collecting rents, one may find that the deficit is not as bad as he is pleading.
The County Building on Queen has drawn business up to that end. Clipper Stadium should make a deal with the hospital for evening parking for their events or better yet, F & M and LGH have that West End land that could be given a piece for a nice garage. Let’s not forget the bull crap going on with Norfolk Southern in moving the lines to hinder School Lane Hills. There are more homes for sale than ever over there due to people wanting out before the relocation lowers their property values even more.
Like or dislike Charlie Smithgall – he was accessible to anyone that wanted to meet with him.
As soon as Rick Gray was elected, low and behold, instead of walking up to the Mayor’s Office, you now had to check in downstairs with a receptionist and be buzzed up. Rich Gray secured the entire 2nd floor with locked doors; this was very telling and disturbing to me.