City Councilman: Mayor Henry’s actions towards environment are ‘overkill’.
(WANE) – Four Fort Wayne councilman are questioning whether Mayor Tom Henry’s recent push for environmental responsibility will stop new jobs from coming to Fort Wayne.
They asked whether his public disapproval of President Donald Trump pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord, followed by him joining the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda (MNCAA) would “cease to welcome new jobs which have carbon footprints?” The councilmen say most businesses the city tries to recruit, such as manufacturers, have carbon footprints.
In the letter, they say they “appreciate the desire to be environmentally responsible,” but wonder how committed Henry plans to be to the MNCAA objectives.
So we had to counteract it because we wanted to make sure that people understood we’re going to be proactive for jobs in the community.
He told the councilmen that environmental responsibility does not discourage new jobs, but encourages them.
He named the $188 million dollar deep-rock tunnel as an example of a project that provides both environmental and economic benefits, citing that it will reduce sewer overflows by 90 percent, create jobs, and attract jobs.
Councilman Geoff Paddock, D-5th, agrees with the mayor and believes his colleagues are taking the Mayor’s intentions out of of context with the letter they wrote.
So I think that’s a very important statement to make and I think that’s what the mayor is saying.
If the federal government and President Trump decide they’re not going to show the lead, if the state of Indiana is going to perhaps take a step back, let’s show that the city of Fort Wayne is upfront, that we are proactive, hat we are taking steps on a voluntary basis.