Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry has unveiled his 2024 city budget proposal Thursday. That proposal called for more investment in neighborhood infrastructure, public safety and parks.
2003’s budget called for record-investment into neighborhood infrastructure.Henry said the 2024 proposal is close to that as well. He said the city can continue to invest like this because of it’s strong financial standing.
“What we’re spending now in two or three years took 15 years before,” Henry said. “So, it’s tremendous improvement and tremendous increase in securing our neighborhoods and their infrastructure.”
The proposal includes public safety investment as well. Henry said he wants to keep the Fort Wayne Police department at its largest-ever staffing level of 500 officers and add five new trucks to the Fort Wayne Fire Department. Henry said he expects the trucks to arrive in the first quarter of 2024.
Henry said with all of that investment, neighborhood investment is crucial to the future.
“I don’t think there’s ever going to be an end to it because everything has a life cycle. There’s so many years that we can expect a sidewalk to last,” Henry said. “So many years a curb, so many years, alleys and streets.”
Henry’s proposal also includes a decrease in property tax rates of a little more than four and a half percent. He said his administration was able to include that rarity thanks to “good financial management.”
The proposal needs City Council approval to become the city’s 2024 budget. City Controller Garry Morr will present the proposal to the City Council on Tuesday.