Mayor Scott Fadness briefed local news reporters on his 2017 city budget proposal to be unveiled formally at the September 19th City Council meeting.  The total spending plan from the mayor will total $85.3 million, $71.2 million for operations and $14.16 million going toward debt service.   Fadness said the city is planning $47 million for cash reserves at the end of 2017.  The city’s General Fund is projected to be $51.8 million in 2017, compared to $51.3 million in 2016.

He’s incorporating plans for 10 new city workers next year…4 new police officers, 4 new firefighters and 2 laborers for the Department of Public Works.

The mayor reiterated many proposals first made at an August city council retreat.

Fadness expects the local city tax rate to rise to 1.5 or 2 cents per $100 of assessed property tax valuation.  Last year’s Fishers city tax rate rose 1 cent.  City Controller Oscar Guiterrez was quick to point out that Fishers has the lowest property tax rate among the largest 15 cities in Indiana.

The mayor also reminded reporters that Fishers is the only city in the State of Indiana with a AAA Standard & Poor’s bond rating, which allows borrowing at a lower rate.

The proposal for a new police headquarters was first reported at this link.  The new HQ will have a secure parking garage for police vehicles.  The mayor is hoping to break ground on this building by the first of the year in 2017, assuming the city council goes along.

The mayor’s plan to ask the council for a wheel tax to finance road maintenance was first reported at this link.  The tax would be implemented no earlier than 2018 if council members sign on to the idea.  The mayor said this money allows the city to better maintain the current roads.  The wheel tax is projected to generate $2.5 million annually in road maintenance funds for the city.

“If we get that, and we continue to be disciplined fiscally and we invest in our resurfacing,” Fadness said, “I think we can get down to a relatively sustainable resurfacing program that people can expect that their roads will be held in a high standard.”

The mayor talked about ongoing road construction projects:

–The 106th Street interchange with I-69 is scheduled to be open by the end of November this year.

–106th Street and Cumberland Road will open this year.

–In 2017, the final extension of 116th Street from the Target Shopping Center to Cumberland to a three lane street.

–State Road 37 is underway, the survey is complete.  Design work is happening now.  Ground breaking is expected in 2018.

–96th Street & Cumberland Road had a roundabout completed this year, in 2017 a roundabout will be constructed at 96th Street & Lantern Road, then in the following year 96th Street will go to four lanes between those two roundabout locations.  Once that is completed, 96th Street will be a four-lane road from I-69 east to Cumberland Road.

–A road rehabilitation is planned for 113th Street.

–The Community Crossings grant provides $1 million to Fishers and  will allow the resurfacing of 116th Street from the White River to I-69 in 2017.

City employees will receive a 3% increase in pay next year.  Fadness said there will be no increase in his salary for 2017, but council members are mulling higher compensation for themselves, the city clerk and the city judge.  Judge Dan Henke asked the City Council Finance Committee to add health insurance benefits to his compensation package.

The city is planning for a fire department training facility, much smaller than a proposed county facility that was rejected by the Hamilton County Council.  The mayor is asking $97,000 from the council for this project.  The fire training location would be housed at the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

The city public works building is set for a $500,000 renovation from the general fund.