Mayor Scott Fadness told the Fishers City Council Finance Committee he will have the first preliminary 2016 budget figures available in August.  In a previous session, Fadness told committee members he plans to submit a flat budget to the city council for the 2016 budget cycle.  He emphasized the first set of numbers will only be preliminary.  The city operates on a calendar year budget, so the spending plan now being formulated would begin on January 1, 2016.  Final budget approval is up to the city council.

The city’s request to have the new Launch Fishers Building declared a Certified Tech Park by the state is still pending.  Mayor Fadness said one member of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) board that had earlier voiced reservations about the designation appears to have softened his stand.  If Certified Tech Park status is approved by the IEDC, most or all of the money the City of Fishers is spending on the new Launch Fishers building would be reimbursed by the state over a number of years.

The city is in the process of issuing bonds to pay for a number of street and road projects over the next few years.  Most of these contracts will be eligible for 80% federal funding (in some cases 90%) but the city still must come up with its matching portion of 10% or 20% of the cost.  Mayor Fadness said he and his staff will be watching closely to ensure any such bond issue does not result in a property tax increase.

City Controller Oscar Gutierrez told the committee he is in the process of realigning employees in his office.  This is part of transitioning from a separately elected clerk-treasurer’s operation under the town form of government, to a city controller’s office under the purview of the  mayor.

The city should know sometime next week whether there will be a special census in Fishers.  The proposal is awaiting the Census Director’s approval.  Fishers is asking for a scaled-down partial census to just count the growing areas of the city.  City officials say this will be considered on a cost-benefit basis.  A larger population can increase the city’s funding from certain state payouts and other funding calculations.  Gutierrez said if the special census happens, census workers may be housed in the Fishers Library building.