County Councilman McKinney seeks to set the record straight on 146th Street

Submitted by RICK McKINNEY

County Council 2020 President, At-Large County Council member since 1997, and Republican candidate for re-election

McKinney

I read with both great amusement and disappointment the Hamilton County Reporter article submitted by the “Friends of Sue Maki” on Saturday, Feb. 29 … Amused because it was quickly evident to me as an incumbent County Councilor that Ms. Maki and her campaign research team failed to check their statements versus history for accuracy and truthfulness; disappointed because this candidate is trying to blend two disparate topics into one and by not being truthful to the public, which causes the general public to be jaded and cynical towards all who run for elected office. Shame on her.

Let’s examine some of her inaccuracies:

“Not much attention has been given to this recent study” – totally false.

In December 2019, less than a month after the study was published, the Hamilton County Council approved $500,000 in new consulting agreements to have recommendations created for improvements to the 146th Street intersections referenced.

Mayors have been previously involved in considering improvements but they have been reluctant to embrace losing land for roundabouts south and north of 146th Street, per my discussions with both County Commissioners and County Highway staff. To turn the mentioned segment of East 146th Street – from Carey Road to River Road – into interchanges would cost a minimum of $28 million each or a total over $100 million and at least seven years, if started today! The 146th Street and Allisonville Road intersection is currently being engineered and anticipated to cost nearly $36 million all by itself in order to make it an interchange.

“…some members of the County Council have been unwilling to invest in much needed improvements” – totally false.

Not only were the above agreements unanimously approved, but the street lights added to the 146th Street bridge over U.S. 31 in 2018 were done so at the initiative of County Council members McKinney, Beaver and Glynn, and the County Council passed it unanimously.

“It is sad that our current Council continues to delay when it comes to supporting much-needed improvements to our infrastructure” – totally false.

The County Council has been very supportive of infrastructure improvements all over the county, not just a select segment of one road. MILLIONS of tax dollars from local, state and federal sources are spent annually on these projects.

Perhaps this candidate should travel other parts of the county where it would be noted these all occurred in part or whole by the County Council appropriating funds to make these projects a reality: Expansion of 146th Street west from Spring Mill Road to the county line; the new Lowes Way southbound ramp; the new Keystone bridge over 96th Street; the 106th Street bridge over Interstate 69; 276th Street widening and reconstruction from U.S. 31 to Gwinn Road; and not to be omitted, the massive State Road 37 reconstruction, which, while it has taken four years to actually get dirt moving, will result in the removal of all stoplights and a Keystone-like travel experience from 126th to 146th streets. (This is only a PARTIAL list of recent Hamilton County road and bridge projects; there are many more.)

“Maki is already working with neighboring city officials about this issue” – in exactly what capacity? Please provide details to substantiate.

Finally: “It is important to remember some of our current County Council members have rejected public safety concerns in the past” – totally false.

Masking concern over a road’s safety status with a separate pet project of the firefighters’ UNION is sad. The training center was and apparently still is a chief goal of the union, which makes enormous financial campaign contributions and tasks its members with working the polls on Election Day for its preferred and endorsed candidates. The project was defeated by a 4-3 vote in 2015. It has not been reconsidered.

In 2018, Maki received $5,000 from the Firefighters’ union. Was that disclosed in her article? Watch other candidates who advocate for this project and see how much the firefighters’ union gives them; watch how many mailers are sent out by this union for their preferred candidates and see how many firefighters are told to work the polls for these candidates.

The bottom line is that the county does NOT have a fire department and there are other existing facilities within a short drive which can be used for joint training. Why isn’t joint training being done NOW?

I value the intelligence of Hamilton County voters and expect they will easily see through my opponent’s disingenuous statements on Election Day.