Fort Wayne City Council approved the proposed city budget Tuesday, following a lengthy discussion about cuts to certain areas.
The original proposal was a $244.8 million budget for 2026, with severalbuilt-in cuts in preparation for fallout from Senate Bill 1. The councildiscussed further cuts to several areas such as funding for the Pufferbelly trail and riverfront development.
The longest discussion of the evening came during proposed cuts to the Southeast Plan. Councilmembers Russ Jehl and Marty Bender proposed a $1 million total cut to the plan.
Jehl recommended using funds from the Google data center currently in development on the southeast side or redirecting funds from other projects, but no decision on where that money would be made up was made.
The cut ultimately passed 5-3. In a statement sent out following the meeting, Mayor Sharon Tucker said she believes council is “setting a dangerous precedent by making cuts to future and necessary projects.”
Councilmember-at-large Michelle Chambers called the move “balancing a budget that’s already balanced... on the backs of the Southeast nieghborhood.”
The city budget passed 6-1, with Councilmember Tom Freistroffer absent
