Waynedale Political Commentaries

As I look back over the last several years, I am struck by the changes that I have witnessed while doing the business of township assistance. In 2007, the early days of my administration, the Great Recession was just getting started, and it would become the worst economic situation since the Great

The City of Fort Wayne has a new director of the Community Development Division. I recently announced the promotion of Cindy Joyner.

Cindy has 16 years of experience in local government. Since 2008, she’s served as a deputy director in the Community Development Division overseeing the Neighborhood

The month of May brings us lots of good things to celebrate—sunshine, flowers, milder temperatures, the end of the school year and Mother’s Day. It’s also the month we here at Wayne Township begin reviewing the applications we receive for our two scholarships: Recognizing Achievement Scholarship

The Indiana General Assembly works diligently each year to implement policies that will help fill open jobs and encourage businesses to grow or locate in our state, and we continue to see positive results.

For example, our state’s unemployment rate has remained below the national average for four

During the 2017 session, the General Assembly passed a two-year budget, which included up to $7.04 billion for school funding, or about $5,956 per student, which was based on estimated enrollment numbers for the 2017-18 school year.

Over half of our General Fund is dedicated to K-12 education, but

I recently provided an update on the City of Fort Wayne’s position on the Electric Works project.

I want all of you to know that my administration continues to support the redevelopment plans for the former General Electric (GE) property and want to see it succeed.

For the past several months, a working

On May 8, Indiana voters will cast primary ballots for United States Senate; Congress; state legislature; county offices such as the Sheriff, Assessor, Recorder, Auditor, Prosecuting Attorney and the Circuit Court Clerk; and for township officials. School board races also will be decided in that election

Indiana offers online voter registration through IndianaVoters.com, a comprehensive website where Hoosiers can not only register to vote, but can check their polling place, look at a mock ballot, and see early voting options

One of Indiana’s biggest long-term challenges is the skills gap that exists between available jobs and available workers. For example, nearly a third of Indiana employers responded to a survey conducted by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce saying they felt that filling an open position is their biggest

I recently congratulated four teams of developers and social service agencies that were awarded Rental Housing Tax Credits (RHTCs) for their projects located in Fort Wayne.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) recently announced 17 applicants statewide that will receive just

In Indiana townships, the citizens elect not only a trustee, but also a Township Board. The Board is the legislative body of the township, and its members serve four-year terms. As the legislative body, the Board adopts and oversees the township budget, sets tax rates and approves salaries for township

The Indiana General Assembly concluded the 2018 legislative session earlier this month, passing 210 bills, 99 percent of which received bipartisan report.

Among these bills are those that accomplish our legislative agenda. At the beginning of the year, my colleagues and I considered the issues facing

That was the message from the Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, and if you stopped by our office this past month you would have seen on the wall in our lobby the big colorful posters shouting out that message. Step up closer to it and read in smaller print, IndianaDisability

I want to offer my congratulations to Steve McDaniel as he’s been appointed as the new director of the Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department effective April 2.

Steve is a 26-year veteran of the Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department. He’s served as deputy director of asset management

The Wayne Township Trustee Office is taking applications for the 6th Annual Recognizing Achievement Scholarship that it offers to graduating high school seniors who are moving on to higher education. And for the second year we are offering the Academic Encouragement Award, for students in grades 11

Opioid abuse is a growing issue in our state, costing Indiana billions of dollars and destroying Hoosier lives. For example, 488 opioid pain reliever-related deaths occurred in Indiana in 2016 alone, which is a nearly 2,000-percent increase since 2000.

At the national level, deaths caused by drug overdoses

I recently congratulated four teams of developers and social service agencies that were awarded Rental Housing Tax Credits (RHTCs) for their projects located in Fort Wayne.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) recently announced 17 applicants statewide that will receive just

During the first half of the legislative session, my colleagues and I researched, discussed and voted on legislation authored by members of the Senate. Now, with the 2018 session in its second half, we have started considering bills passed by the House of Representatives.

Below are some of the major

The growth and momentum in our community continues as the City of Fort Wayne New Markets Revitalization Fund, LLC (FWNMRF) will receive $55 million in New Markets Tax Credits allocation authority.

Of the 230 Community Development Entities (CDEs) that applied for New Markets funding from the U.S. Treasury

Townships exist in various forms in about twenty of the United States. In my previous column I promised to talk about the difference between survey and civil townships. Simply put, a survey township is a plot of land with boundaries that have been drawn to establish regular parcels for ownership.

In the years following 1787, the new government of the United States surveyed the lands of the old Northwest Territory—an area now comprised of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota—into blocks of 36-square mile parcels called townships. Those townships became the

The Indiana General Assembly recently reached the half-way point, meaning the Senate and House of Representatives will begin considering legislation passed by their counterpart since session began January 3.

Nearly 440 bills were authored in the Senate this year, and of those, a number continue to

I want to take this opportunity to update you on some exciting initiatives taking place in the City of Fort Wayne.

We’re now in position to move forward with the next steps for the North River property. The City now owns the property, which is comprised of 29 acres bounded by Clinton, Fourth and