FORT WAYNE – Fort Wayne’s careful financial planning has put it in a position for growth and success, according to its chief executive.
Mayor Tom Henry on Wednesday gave his fifth State of the City speech – the second straight at the downtown Allen County Public Library. The 30-minute talk highlighted many of the city’s successes over the mayor’s first term such as recycling participation and public safety.
Henry said the strength of the city, however, comes from its strong financial foundation based on the fact the city has operated with a flat budget for four years.
“Truth is, it’s hard to dream without resources,” he said. “It’s impossible to compete without a strong financial base.”
The speech offered a few initiatives, including the city’s plan to provide a grading system for how well it responds to service requests and plans to narrow Washington and Jefferson boulevards downtown from four lanes to three. The speech offered an update on the city’s Legacy Task Force, with Henry saying he would like reports from the three recently appointed subcommittees within 90 days.
It even provided a challenge, with the mayor asking residents to help the city top 80 percent participation in the recycling program. The city began using large single bins for curbside recycling collection that drove participation from about 30 percent to 70 percent in 2011.
Council President Tom Smith, R-1st, said while the speech was fine as an update in the mayor’s progress, he was hoping to hear more new initiatives for what the city plans to do. He said he was particularly disappointed the mayor did not address the north river property.
“There were really no new initiatives,” Smith said.
The city has had discussions with the Rifkin family to acquire the 29 acres near OmniSource and the St. Marys River north of downtown for several years. Henry has previously said the city should acquire the property, rezone it and potentially help clean it to make it ready for development, but it was not mentioned in his annual speech.
Instead, Henry touted national studies that found Fort Wayne had exceptionally high job growth and low crime. He also noted that persistence in pushing for The Harrison development would pay off, as crews have begun construction on the $18.5 million project next to Parkview Field.
“In spite of our modesty, Fort Wayne is a community that many around the country have come to envy,” Henry said. “Our challenge is to keep that momentum going.”
