COUNCILMAN’S CORNER
I’ve received calls recently regarding water line upgrades in the Indian Village area. A $1 million plus project was started 2 years ago in response to many concerns expressed by Indian Village residents regarding their water service. While there has never been any question regarding the safety of the water supply, there have been numerous incidents of staining of clothing and other problems due to rusty water from old water pipes in the area. I recently discussed the situation with City Utility Engineer Matt Wirtz. New water lines are due to be installed this summer and/or fall on the north side of the Indian Village area along Wenonah Lane, Meda Pass, and adjacent streets. Please be patient with the work crews when they come through your neighborhood if you live in Indian Village.
It is my understanding that the state legislature recently eliminated the property tax relief credit which is bad news for property taxpayers in Indiana. You may not have gleaned this from the various media outlets but that essentially means that your property taxes were increased to help balance the state budget. The Mayor and the City Council have taken the bipartisan approach that property taxes are one of the most regressive taxes—i.e. they hit the elderly and those on low and/or fixed incomes the hardest. Everyone involved at the level of Fort Wayne city government is taking a hard look at our tax structure to see what we can do to minimize the negative effects of this new tax legislation on property owners in Fort Wayne.
Don’t forget that Saturday, May 21, is City Cleanup Day in Fort Wayne. Many neighborhoods are working on cleaning up their own residential areas and groups of citizens are also cleaning riverbanks, etc. If you want to become involved contact your neighborhood leaders or call the Fort Wayne Solid Waste Department at 427-1270. I should also mention that there’s an all city “post-cleanup” party at Headwaters Park beginning at 11a.m. on the 21st! See you there!
Last week there were a series of events in Fort Wayne highlighting local efforts to bring rail service back to Fort Wayne. The goal is to rebuild passenger rail service throughout the Midwest with a system that would get you to Chicago in an hour and 45 minutes without having to fight your way through traffic jams, etc. Many new jobs would be created at a local steel manufacturer if they could land the job of producing the long sections of rail that will be needed for a rejuvenated rail system. High speed rail service is a current reality on the east and west coasts, as well as, in Europe and Japan and makes more and more sense with high gasoline prices likely heading even higher. The group known as Invent Tomorrow is coordinating local efforts to bring better passenger and freight rail service to the Fort Wayne area. You can help by calling or writing our state and U.S. elected officials to ask for their support of this effort.
Give me a call if you have any concerns or constructive suggestions. Enjoy the spring weather!
Tom Hayhurst
City Councilman
432-8418
tom.hayhurst@verizon.net
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