Problems in Paragon IN

[lumpy39us]

The computer still has information on it, have a professional recovery company, person, recover the data. Go from there.

 

[hornadylnl]

Contact a realtor.

 

[4sarge]

Typical for small (all towns). Sewer & Water rates are skyrocketing everywhere. EPA, needed upgrades of distribution system etc. Nepotism, Cronyism, and Control usually run rampant in these bergs. The elected Town Board is a Check & Balance for the Elected Clerk Treasurer BUT that rarely happens. Greed has an amazing way of making money disappear from Town Treasuries. No one pays attention to the mismanagement till the Train Wreck occurs or Taxes & Fees are Raised to compensate for the years of mismanagement

 

[rw02kr43]

realtor

we just moved here. No one is going to want to move here. The house had sat empty for a long time already. Now with this added problem no one will want to move here even more.

 

[j706]

We just moved there last Nov. Since then, we have been finding out what a screwed up little town it is. It's run by 3 old guys on a town council.
First off, they hadn't paid a good amount of taxes to the IRS. The town had to take out a loan to pay for it and put up the police car (there is only one) as collateral.

That's the first one we found out about. Now we find out that the water company there has operating expenses of about 90k and takes in about 60k. So prices will be raised. Everyone's will be about doubled or in some cases even more. Okay. Now, we find out that the former town clerk took care of all the financials. She would show the books to the council members but they didn't understand them and she was "good with numbers". She has since left the job, erased her computer and there are no records. The last time the state auditor was there was in 2003. No one knows why it was so long ago. At that time, the town had a surplus of around $300k. When asked there the money went the only answer we get is "I don't know". No one is searching out the former town clerk. No one has any answers. The town is broke and water bills are going to skyrocket. At every town meeting there are people in there begging to have an extension on their water bill. How will they pay it now?
The town council keeps using the threat that if they can't pay, the town will go into foreclosure. What I would like to know is, what will that mean for the townspeople? Will it be taken over by Martinsville and the water company taken over by a private company? If so, I don't see that as bad. The town council has proven they have no clue. Any advice?

Thanks
Jason

This all sound quite odd to me. There are so many checks and balances in place. I work PT for a small town. The state board of accounts is here every year going over the books. I guess it is possible that a former clerk treasurer swindled some cash. If so they WILL get busted on it, destroyed records or not..

 

[rw02kr43]

state board of accounts

I think so too. But apparently the state board of accounts hasn't looked in on Paragon since 2003.

 

[j706]

I think so too. But apparently the state board of accounts hasn't looked in on Paragon since 2003.

The clerk in the town here was off 35.00 one year after an audit. She had to pay the sum out of her pocket.

 

[churchmouse]

Is the race track still open out there. That was all I ever saw in that burg worth anything. Well, it cost us plenty in torn up race cars.
What exactly convinced you to move there.....just curious.

 

[terrehautian]

According to the tracks website, it is still there. One nice thing about Indiana, there is no shortage of short dirt race tracks around. As a non wing fan, the shorter the better. It is an equalizer when it comes to money vs. talent. If you got Levi Jones vs. some local on a big track, money wins. When you got a short track, talent takes it (which Levi has also).

 

[PKendall317]

As a lifelong resident of Morgan County, my first advice to you would be to get out of Paragon, and try to find a nice neighborhood in either Martinsville (if you can) or Mooresville or the surrounding area.

My second piece of advice if you don't want to leave would be do your best to try to make that town a better place. I don't know all the details because I live in Mooresville, but Martinsville where I work seems to have a lot of the same problems as Paragon is.

 

[spearheadersarge]

Just another example of local govt' making sweetheart deals for themselves and then whining and crying when the coffers are empty. It is no different than the many towns, cities, and state govts who are now facing the piper as their own coffers are running dry. Everyone crys out "How can this happen?" and then the hand-wringing begins and the result is bankruptcy and the town manager job now pays $35K inteadt of $135 as it probably should have to begin with. Libs love spending other people's money till it runs out! Just look at California or Illinois!

 

[Hammer]

As an ex-board member there, Move now. Unless you like Meth labs next door. I resigned in april of 1999, when the books were in order.

I know a few of the current board members, some are good but too old to make a difference in what is happening. The others are the problem.

The surplus was not $300,000 it was much less than that, from memory it was around 100,000 or so at the time I resigned. The money came from the sale of the electric dept back quite a few years before I moved there in 94. It was squandered before I got there by previous board members. The town cannot grow due to sewer limitations and the water system is **** poor at best. (Do not drink the water) The FD cannot even hook directly on a hydrant there in fear of collapsing the water lines. If you want a good run down on town history get with Annette at the post office, she has been around for years.

Even if you lose money on the house it will be worth it in the end. Trust me on that one.

Do not look for any help either from the county, cause they are just as bad. Richard Bray is the lawyer for Paragon.

 

[Que]

Is this a majority Republican or Democrat town?

 

[rw02kr43]

town

good question. I had thought it was mostly republican. But my neighbor comes right out and tells me he's a socialist. So I really don't know.

 

[hornadylnl]

From my experience, democrat or republican doesn't make any difference at a local level. They all love grant money, wasteful public spaces, taj mahal schools and out contro school sports programs.

 

[strahd71]

hey if you got a town.................. you didnt build it!

jake