FORT WAYNE FISCAL POLICY PLAN

My administration is taking proactive steps to make sure our community remains financially sound today and in the future. With that in mind, I continue to reemphasize the importance of supporting a fiscal policy plan aimed at positioning the City of Fort Wayne for future growth and success.

What the fiscal policy plan we’ve presented to City Council would do is:
*Add 20 more police officers
*Add 15 more firefighters
*Provide funding for street and road improvements without having to borrow money
*Provide funding for neighborhood curb and sidewalk projects
*Provide funding for enhancements to Parks facilities
*Provide property tax relief for homeowners
*And, create a small increase in income tax, in order to continue with important, necessary services for the community, such as Crime Stoppers, Safety Village, Police Athletic League and parade security, to name a few.

I truly believe we must invest in our community, our children, and our grandchildren. Now is the time to build for the future, strengthen our neighborhoods and ensure we remain a livable City — with all the services our citizens expect and deserve.

Property tax caps implemented by the Indiana General Assembly have resulted in a loss of $53 million in revenue to the City. As a result, I created a Fiscal Policy Group in 2012 to develop a framework of ideas to save the community money and bring in additional revenue to help meet the financial needs of the City.

Click to advertise on this website

We must be a leader. We’re competing in a global economy. Our recommendations have received bipartisan and public and private sector support and will move us forward in a positive direction that sustains our tremendous quality of life and encourages job and business growth.

On another note, our Public Works Department recently kicked off another busy season of street and road repairs. Nearly 30 miles in street paving, reconstruction and repairs will take place through the end of October. The Public Works Department will be working on streets throughout the community, including streets in Waynedale.

Highlights include such Waynedale streets as Bluffton Road, between Lower Huntington Road and Liberty Drive; sections of Clayburn Court from Heatherton Drive to the cul-de-sac; sections of Heatherton Drive and Lower Huntington, between Airport Expressway and the area near Corline Street.

We’re also improving some of our busier streets — such as Taylor Street and Tillman and Covington roads.
Residents can keep up with street closings and lane restrictions during the construction season by visiting cityoffortwayne.org/streets.

The city is investing $4.8 million in streets with an additional $10 million expected from federal funds.
In nearly all cases, the construction and paving projects involve local companies. Under the formula used by the U.S. Government, this year’s projects will support more than 160 construction-related jobs.