Fort Wayne, Ind. – Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry today continued his call for support for the City’s financial plan for the future. The plan combines savings to taxpayers, while also increasing revenues to keep Fort Wayne sustainable and continue a quality of life that builds for the future.
What the plan that’s been presented to City Council would do:
*Add 20 more police officers
*Add 15 more firefighters
*Increase the amount of street improvements from 34 miles this year to 70 miles each year in future years without having to borrow money
*Improvements to Parks facilities without having to borrow money
*Property tax relief for homeowners
*Small increase in income tax in order to continue with important, necessary services that citizens expect and deserve and would still have one of the lowest income tax rates in northeast Indiana
“We’re at a critical time in the history our City,” said Mayor Henry. “We must invest in our community and look to the future. City Council has been presented with a plan that will sustain our City and position us to be able to have tremendous neighborhoods, a great quality of life, job growth, business expansion, additional police officers and firefighters, and improvements to our streets, roads, and parks.”
In addition, Fort Wayne’s Fiscal Policy Group recently conducted its final meeting. The group concluded the financial plan presented by the City is a reasonable approach to meet the community’s needs. The group also concluded the alternative proposal that’s been presented by two City Council members is not viable or sustainable to meet the City’s needs.
Mayor Henry established the Fiscal Policy Group in 2012 to develop a framework of ideas to save money and add revenue meet the financial needs of the City. Property tax caps implemented by the Indiana General Assembly have resulted in a loss of $53 million in revenue to the City.