COUNCILMAN’S CORNER
The city election is finally over and the votes have been tabulated. Congratulations to all of the newly elected officials including Mayor-elect Tom Henry and 4th District City Councilman-elect Mitch Harper. As I once heard previous Mayor Paul Helmke say, the election and partisan politics is over and it’s time to work together to move Fort Wayne forward. I’ll be sure to make myself available to my successor, Mitch Harper, to discuss various issues affecting the 4th District.
During the campaign I heard one candidate (who lost) touting his plan to improve response times for filling potholes. Since I’ve been on Council many good things have happened and, on the other hand, sometimes major problems have developed requiring a strong response. One of the most dramatic accomplishments of our city government during the last few years has been the efficient filling of potholes. In fact, the average time to complete that task has decreased to less than 12 hours during the last 4 years! I’m sure advances will be made under the guidance of our new city officials. One thing that probably WON’T get better is the pothole response time!
During the campaign there was quite a bit of discussion about the possibility of tapping into the City Light lease fund which now totals over $40 million thanks to the careful stewardship of many individuals over several decades. I favor doing exactly that in a very limited way—perhaps utilizing a portion of the interest—to help speed upgrading of our infrastructure. I’m sure that our new Mayor and City Council will be taking a close look at that option.
Give me a call with any suggestions for making Fort Wayne a better city.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
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