Mayor Henry Touts Record Neighborhood Investments In “Balanced” City Budget 2023

FORT WAYNE, Indiana (WANE) – Mayor Tom Henry held a press conference Monday morning to unveil his proposed 2023 civic budget for the city.

Included in the budget is a city tax that will be reduced by 6.7%. The mayor says this will allow the city to make record investments of up to $48.3 million in neighborhood infrastructure.

Mayor Henry said the budget is balanced and fiscally responsible.

For public safety, the Fort Wayne Police and Fire Department will see improvements.

FWPD will be able to hire 15 new officers, bringing the total number of officers patrolling the streets to 500. The department will also add around 30 body cameras and oversee a new river patrol with specially trained officers monitoring the waterways.

Police Chief Steve Reed said local conservation officials suggested having a presence on the water due to the volume of traffic. Chief Reed said it will be seasonal and the officers receiving the training will be deployed on the rivers on a temporary basis.

“Unfortunately, we have had some incidents on our waterways. So, first and foremost, we want everyone to be safe,” Chief Reed said.

FWFD will replace two of its engines with new ones and improve its Specialty Team Response for rescue situations.

The total budget is $215.4 million. It will be presented to the Fort Wayne City Council on Tuesday, September 27.

You can see the entire budget here.

“Fort Wayne continues to grow and thrive, and the proposed 2023 budget shows we are poised for even better days for our community,” said Mayor Henry. “Fiscal discipline is critical as we work together to meet the needs, wants and desires of residents, neighborhoods and businesses. We look forward to a productive 2023 with planned investments in each quadrant that will make a lasting and meaningful difference.”

It is important to note that this is the city’s citizen budget and does not include public utilities, which have a separate budget.