The Ballard administration declared war on Indianapolis’ poor and working class neighborhoods last week and the first casualty was Joe Wynns, director of Indy Parks.
Mayor Ballard began the week formally presenting a city/county budget that not only cut millions from parks, but millions from the sheriff, the County Jail and the Superior Courts. Then, Mayor Ballard opened his war against neighborhoods telling the Indianapolis Star’s Editorial Board he might sell the city’s small neighborhood parks because they’re “really just a (budget) drain.”
Star columnist Matt Tully reported that Ballard said “I love green space” but we need “to see what value we can get out of” small neighbood parks.
The Star reported that Ballard’s got a consultant evaluating the sale of city-owned land. Ballard’s brood is gunning for 26 neighborhood parks. Slightly over half, 14, are located in Black-majority neighbohroods. Others serve white-majority or racially mixed neighborhoods in four townships.
Then after directing hostile fire against neighborhoods by advocating selling off Indianapolis park by park, Mayor Ballard dismissed Joe Wynns, who at 38 years was the longest tenured African-American executive in city/county government.
Wynns’ departure was called a “retirement,” but that’s a euphemism. Long-time workers don’t suddenly retire, especially in mid month (Wynns’ last day is Sept. 12).
No, Joe Wynns was dismissed, fired, canned, discharged, sacked, relieved of duty (insert your own verb).
As head of a statutory city/county department, Joe Wynns served at the pleasure of the mayor. Meaning Mayor Ballard could call for his resignation anytime for any reason.
Wynns, parks director under former Mayor Bart Peterson, was ready to leave office when Peterson left January 1. But Mayor Ballard asked him to stay on because Ballard was so unprepared entering office that he had no clue who he wanted to run the Parks Department.
Wynns handled this assignment as he’d done every assignment for 38 years — professionally.
Wynns’ sacking shocked the African-American community. To many, many Blacks, Joe Wynns WAS the Parks Department. His nearly four decades of service to this city/county speaks for itself.
As Indy Parks director, Wynns brought about a parks renaissance, leading the oft-troubled department into national accreditation and national accolades. Instead of commending and celebrating Wynns’ record of excellence, Ballard and his brood dissed Wynns.
The professional that he is, Wynns refused to speak with me about what happened. But others have talked and tell me that a few months ago, Ballard’s brood placed someone in a key position under Wynns to gather unflattering information.
On the morning of Aug. 12, the mess hit the fan as Mayor Ballard’s Chief of Staff Paul Okeson demanded Wynns’ immediate resignation.
Out of respect for his tenure and the fact that he asked Wynns to stay on, Mayor Ballard himself should’ve dismissed Wynns, not having a staffer do the deed.
Joe Wynns informed Indy Parks’ employees he was leaving in an e-mail at 10:07 a.m. Wednesday Aug. 13. Through employee leaks, the Star posted an online story around 1:30 p.m. Minutes later, I broke the news on WTLC-AM (1310’s) airwaves, which is how many in our Black community first found out, including City-County Councilman William Oliver, ranking Democrat on the council’s Parks Committee.
Key councilors weren’t given courtesy calls about Wynns’ departure, including Democratic council leaders. I hear the mayor’s office even failed to inform council vice president, Republican Kent Smith, who’s Black.
Mayor Ballard’s official comment on Wynns’ “retirement” wasn’t issued until 3:26 p.m., over five hours after parks’ employees were notified, and two hours after media broke the story. In his statement, Mayor Ballard said “Joe Wynns has served the citizens of Indianapolis for over 28 years (italics added).” Another humiliation, understating Wynns’ tenure 26 percent or 10 years.
In an e-mail I put mayoral press secretary Marcus Barlow in check, informing him of Wynns’ correct years of service. Eighty-one minutes later, at 4:47 p.m., a “corrected” Ballard statement was issued.
The Ballard administration’s maltreatment of the respected Joe Wynns causes serious questioning of Mayor Ballard’s institutional attitude towards our African-American community.
For the record, I believe Mayor Ballard desires to do the right thing for Blacks in Indianapolis. Unfortunately, I believe this mayor and his inner circle completely misunderstand African-Americans and our community and more ominously, they don’t want to learn.
If the Ballard administration’s declared war on neighborhoods, where does Deputy Mayor for Neighborhoods Olgen Williams fit in?
Interviewed Aug. 15 on “Afternoons with Amos,” Williams uttered a damning admission, “Contrary to what people might think,” Williams said, “I don’t know everything that goes on on the 25th floor.” Williams said he first knew of Wynns’ firing from a hallway conversation with Chief of Staff Okeson.
Ever since Indianapolis’ mayors employed African-Americans as deputy mayors, those individuals were always consulted on mayoral decisions that impacted, especially negatively, African-Americans
If, as Williams says, he doesn’t know everything going on in the mayor’s office, and if he wasn’t consulted on the fallout of firing city/county government’s senior African-American executive, then that’s a dangerous sign that the administration of Greg Ballard hasn’t a clue about governing a city with sizeable African-American population.
Someone needs to tell our mayor that his Marine warfare days are over. We need an immediate cease-fire in Ballard’s war against neighborhoods.
Are Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter or Tony Blair available to mediate?
What I’m hearing in the streets
Democratic City-County Council members are livid over not receiving the traditional pre-announcement budget briefings from the Ballard administration. Council Minority Leader Joanne Sanders complains the Ballard administration provides less detailed budget information than previous mayors.
By any standard, the new Lucas Oil Stadium is impressive. Touring it twice last week, with fat cats who weren’t allowed to see the upper deck plaza, which has the best views, and with plain folks on Saturday’s crowded tour, the $720 million stadium is a place of pride for this city and unlike any stadium around in the world.
Our Black community’s first real chance to see this wonder will be the Circle City Classic. Every stadium seat’s a great one. Buy Classic tickets. They’re as little as $10, $15 and $20 bucks. See what everybody’s gonna be talking about the day after Classic.
See ‘ya next week.
Amos Brown’s opinions are not necessarily those of the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. You can contact him at (317) 221-0915 or by e-mail at ACBROWN@AOL.COM.
