However, the biggest snafu that hung over everyone's head like a grey cloud was the on-going Ben Snyder Block mess. It continued to haunt Congressman Baesler all the way in Washington. In 1994, The Lexington Herald Leader called it "The $9 Million Dilemma" (LHL, 9/18/94), in a front page article that featured Jane Murray-Vimont prominently, including her photograph. A key dispute involved the City's purchase under Baesler of a large parcel of real estate in the Ben Snyder block with state funds. Had Baesler decided to buy the block before or after deciding to build a downtown cultural center on the site? There were allegations of fixed appraisals, sweetheart appointments to boards, and pay-offs. The story said Baesler was "facing persistent questions about whether Lexington bailed out Southcreek's owners [a downtown developer]--his supporters and campaign contributors--with the state's money." Jane Murray-Vimont, as the City's cultural development point woman, was repeatedly referenced. The article cited her handling of appraisals that increased sharply in a short time.
The next day another front-page article appeared: "Cultural Center Unlikely, Leaving Lexington To Find New Use For Snyder Block." (LHL, 9/19/94), again featuring Jane Murray-Vimont.
THE BIRTH OF JANE VIMONT & ASSOCIATES, INC. (11/12/1993)
In November 1993, during Scotty Baesler's first year in Washington, Ms. Murray-Vimont formed a corporation, Jane Vimont and Associates. (She refers to it as "JVA, Inc." in her statement of qualifications.) But Jane did not leave her position as Congressman's Baesler's Legislative Director until two years later, late 1995. During this two year period, she spent much time in Lexington trying to clean up the mess she and the former mayor had made with all the cultural center issues. She attended meetings with developers, investors, and consultants. Also with state regulators and bureaucrats who were trying to make the City meet its obligations. Murray-Vimont was party to all of the inside information. She sensed opportunity and she shrewdly positioned herself to take advantage of it.
Specifically she was party to the secret February 1995, Memorandum of Understanding negotiated between the State and the City of Lexington. This memo listed which projects the State of Kentucky was going to force the Lexington government to construct. The group fought vigorously to keep the information away from the public, outraging the Lexington arts community, who tired of seeing there long-promised cultural projects languishing. They demanded openness from their government representatives including Murray-Vimont, but the group keep the information away from them for ten years until the State Attorney General determined the group had violated Kentucky's Open Meetings Act, or "Sunshine Law." The landmark ruling finally forced memorandum's release in 2005. (See "Jane Murray: Promises, Promises-Part 1")
In the meantime, Jane Murray-Vimont had access to the secret details. And Jane Vimont and Associates, Inc. was her means of taking advantage of her inside information.
UK BASKETBALL MUSEUM-INSIDE TRACK (LHL, 5/10/99)
Even before leaving government employment, Murray-Vimont's had already secured a lucrative contract for her new company. In 1994, she helped to incorporate the UK Basketball Museum, and the museum board, in turn, hired her as "project manager and fund-raiser", even though she was still employed on Congressman Baesler's staff. Of course, this was the very museum which Murray-Vimont had already committed the city to create as part of its state-ordered settlement. Over a three year span, the museum board paid her company $465,000.
Murray-Vimont's expenses were minimal. She was her company's sole proprietor and sole employee. The Lexington Center, which was expanded as part of the secretive Cultural Center settlement with the State, provided rent-free office space to Murray-Vimont and to the museum board, which otherwise would have cost $100,000 to $150,000 per year. Utilities, about $50,000 per year, were paid for with museum funds. With little overhead, Murray-Vimont's contract was indeed lucrative.
But her fund-raising results were dismal, focusing mainly on the sale of gold, silver and bronze medallions that were not as popular as she had hoped. Early on, the museum spent over $200,000 on her plan to give medallions to donors in exchange for gifts. The trinkets raised only $1.1 million toward Murray-Vimont's stated goal of $2.9 million, and the museum was left with over half of the 6500 medals when the program was terminated.
She leveraged as much City funds for the museum as she could manage, about a million dollars. Still revenues were woefully insufficient. Perhaps they might have been better if Murray had spent more time on it.
But she was busy with other "JVA, Inc." projects, as indicated on her website resume. As the Basketball Museum struggled, Murray-Vimont represented a Canandian Company, Lord Cultural Resources, in the collection of some unpaid invoices owed by the Muhammed Ali Center in Louisville which was also struggling at the time. (LHL, 6/18/96) Murray's website resume lists "Round One-project manager for a special exhibition on the life of Muhammed Ali" as one of her "JVA, Inc. Projects," but it fails to mention her collection efforts on the behalf of the Canadian firm.
After three years of floundering, the Museum Board terminated Murray-Vimont's contract. They hired a new director whose analysis was that "it was apparent that the museum organizers," which of course included Murray-Vimont, "had not understood the scope of the project in hard terms. It would cost millions more than anyone thought."
But as described in our previous articles, the Museum ultimately failed despite the new director and the board's best efforts. It really was doomed from the start, being based on the flawed feasibility studies and planning by Jane Murray-Vimont. As she reorts on her website:
"University of Kentucky Basketball Museum – director for feasibility study; organized and directed professional consulting team, all meetings, functions, reports. "
Murray claimed that she resigned from teh museum. But the Board only stated that they had terminated her contract. Murray refused to be interviewed by the newspaper (not surprisingly) about her departure. But the museum said she had taken a job in Canada.
RETURN TO OHIO
If she actually did work in Canada, it may have been because she had worn out her welcome everywhere else. The latter part of her career with Lexington city government was extremely rocky, and surely tarnished her reputation. Her Lexington Cultural Disrtict was still a vacant lot. She was divorced from an influential Lexington attorney. She was deeply involved in reneging on several promises she and/or her boss had made to the State of Kentucky, including a tainted $9 million dollar land deal. Her Washington job was a bust. She had burned her bridges with the "arts community" with her egregious violation of Open Meeting Act requirements. Perhaps the biggest bust of all, one that she could not blame on anyone but herself, was the UK Basketball Museum colossal failure.
Perhaps it was inevitable that she would return to Portsmouth. She claims she came back to care for her ailing mother who lives in South Shore. But she must not need much care. Murray said in a mayoral debate that she warns her mother not to come "into town" and drive on our "dangerous" city streets.
Since her return to Portsmouth in 2002 she hasn't done much. She let her Kentucky corporation lapse in 2002. Another company she owns, Creative Design Images, has also lapsed according the Ohio Seretary of State website. She applied to be a substitute teacher at Northwest High School in 2003. Her application was approved pending a federal background check.(http://www.northwest.k12.oh.us/docs2/District/BoardMinutes/2003/minutes092303.PDF) Her website resume lists her experience as "Music Producer and Writer (2005-present)," but may just be a euphemism.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Her biggest activity in the last seven years has been stirring up things in Portsmouth. She filed a major lawsuit against the City she hopes to be mayor of. It may be very lucrative if she wins it.
She led a recall effort against her City Councilman, who resigned rather than be put through the inevitable hell she and her cohorts surely had in store for him. Then she was irate at City Council for not appointing her as the man's replacement. All of her past problems have not dminished her sense of entitlement.
She has been working behind the scenes with two Councilmen and the wife of a Councilman to undermine every effort by the current mayor to make improvements to the City.
What will she do for the City if elected? If you've read this far, you've learned enough to know that Murray has left a trail of tragically failed projects behind her wherever she has gone. We have no doubt she would have the same result here.
Hopefully the information we have found and shared on this website will assist the voters of Portsmouth to select the best candidate to serve the citizens of Portsmouth. Time will tell.
Every elected official needs to be watched carefully. Especially those like Ms. Murray, who don't believe the have the need to explain themselves.
If you sense desperation in the Murray Campaign, even panic, as these damaging and thoroughly documented facts about her government and business failings continue to mount, perhaps now you know why. There is no way she can answer or dispute these charges.
And if she loses this race.................there's nowhere else for her to go.
Thank you, p-townunderground. Many voters appreciate the hard work you have put into this. Hopefully you have saved this City from a horrible fate with Vimont / Murray at the helm.
ReplyDeleteThe CAVE people are getting quite desperate. I think your website has really shaken them up. R.Forrey is writing a new story daily trying to do damage control. It's actually pretty funny to watch them all scramble around. They suddenly have a problem with anonymous writers. Poor Mr.Johnson is crying on his Facebook page that someone is besmirching his reputation. Give me a break. We've watched them attack decent people for years and get away with it. No one ever wanted to take them on because they knew how vicious they could be. THANK YOU P-TOWN for trying to save us from these people. We cannot afford the likes of Jane Murray,Kevin Johnson or the Mollettes. I pray nightly that people will see thru their smooth talking rhetoric, see them for the liars that they are. Mr.Johnson had no problem sharing his story with the SF Chronicle because he knew it would be accepted there. Most of us could care less that he is gay. We just don't want a councilman whose only agenda is to stir things up. This has been his intention from day one. He enjoys the drama.Look at the way he treated people who would dare to park in front of his business. He wants his way and acts like a baby if he doesn't get it. We can't afford to be his source of entertainment. He needs a new hobby.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciate your hard work and efforts to get to the truth. It's a shame that our news reporters don't do this kind of investigating and reporting. Perhaps they are afraid of lawsuits, too! I also appreciate the humor found on this site. After having to listen to these very difficult folks over and over, it's great that they are being exposed for the kind of people they really are! Thanks, Underground!
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