Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker announced Thursday that the state will invest $15.3 million in additional local income taxes. At a press conference Thursday, Tucker announced what the city plans to spend that money on.
If Indiana finds that a city has paid too much in a fiscal year, the money is repaid in the form of additional local income taxes.
Tucker said the city will distribute the money across nine different focus areas:
-Funding each City Council district for neighborhood projects: $250,000 per district, totaling $1.5 million
-City Council funding for neighborhood projects: $300,000
-Crossing bridge over Coliseum Boulevard as part of the Pufferbelly Trail – $2.5 million
-Three Portland Loos in the city center – $900,000
-Funding for riverfront phase IIB work: $2.8 million
-Playground equipment in city parks – Lakeside, McCormick, Indian Village, Waynedale, Jehl and Franke – $1.2 million
-Public safety funding as a prerequisite for additional local income tax distribution – $1.4 million
-City General Fund Reserve – $551,310
-Reserve funds for future investment projects through the LIT/CEDIT Fund – $4.1 million
Tucker said the investment in Portland Loos will help ease the strain placed on downtown businesses by increasing visitor numbers.
“It’s not the responsibility of downtown businesses to make their restrooms accessible to the public,” Tucker said. “So we’re trying to fill that gap.”
Portland Loos are public toilets for one person. Tucker said they will be connected to the city’s water mains.
Tucker said her administration will work with the Fort Wayne City Council on next steps for these initiatives.
