Acting Muncie Mayor Worked 5 Weeks Without Proper Contract Approval (Truthfully, Years as MRC Head)!

George-Jeffrey Howe became the Muncie Redevelopment (MRC) Director on February 15, 2024, under a professional services contract between Howe and the City of Muncie (Mayor Dan Ridenour). The contract outlined Howe's responsibilities, compensation, and a one-year term.

It also stated that no future contract could extend his term beyond the original term and that any major changes would require a new contract.

Howe and Ridenour signed the contract; however, it was never presented to the Muncie Board of Works for discussion, public input, and a vote.

On December 2, 2024, Howe and Ridenour signed a professional services addendum to the original contract. The addendum extended Howe's term beyond a year (to December 31, 2027) and increased his compensation. These actions were expressly forbidden in the original contract.

Again, this addendum was never presented to the Muncie Board of Works for discussion, public input, and a vote.

On May 21, 2026, Howe and Ridenour signed another professional services addendum to the original and second contracts. This addendum went well beyond both the original contract and the first addendum. It again increased Howe's compensation and broadened Howe's duties and responsibilities.

For the third time, the addendum was never presented to the Muncie Board of Works for discussion, public input, and a vote.

Eight days after Howe and Ridenour signed the second addendum, Ridenour appointed Howe as "Deputy" Mayor. Ridenour said Howe would also remain the MRC Director and would not take any "extra compensation" for his role as "Deputy" Mayor. Ridenour also announced that at midnight on June 1, 2026, Howe would become the "Acting" Mayor of Muncie while Ridenour was on medical leave.

They followed all the proper steps and documentation for both the "Deputy" Mayor and "Acting" Mayor appointments and designations. However, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey was concerned that they had never followed the proper steps for any of the three contracts they had signed.

Bilbrey was also suspicious of the third contract entered into by both Howe and Ridenour, only days before the "Deputy" Mayor and "Acting" Mayor appointments and designations. Bilbrey began asking questions and covered this in many episodes (672 through 690).

Then, during a Muncie Board of Works meeting on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, a meeting that amazingly DID NOT GET LIVE STREAMED OR RECORDED, City Controller Craig Wright raised a "last-minute" addendum to a professional services contract for consideration by the BOW members. The "last-minute" addendum in question was Howe's third contract.

This means the first and second contracts have STILL NEVER gone through the proper approval process. But Howe has been doing whatever he has been doing from May 21, 2026, through June 30, 2026 (5 weeks), without the proper process being followed! Beyond that, he has been doing whatever it is that he has been doing from February 15, 2024, without the proper process being in place!

Again, this is just more of the Ridenour Administration doing whatever it damn well wants for as long as it wants, without going through the proper processes! And only when someone bitches long enough and loud enough will they consider doing the right thing, and only to avoid problems!

This is complete BULLSHIT!

For those wanting to see the documents in question, click the following link. . .

For those wanting to hear more about this, check out episodes 672 through 690 of The Political Spotlight.

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