It’s always a good feeling to return home on Labor Day after a great trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, spending time with my daughter, son-in-law and one-year-old grandson Dakota.  Turning 70 was special on September 3rd, just feeling lucky & thankful to be here with generally good health.

But now that I’m back, I have budgets on my mind.  After watching & listening to the YouTube video of the recent City Council Finance Committee meeting and listening to a city briefing on the budget August 31, I know a lot more about what to expect as the city budget process moves forward.

The mayor is proposing a spending plan for 2022 of $121.64 million with cash reserves for all funds at $41 million.  Deputy Mayor Elliott Hultgren says this is $10 million more than required under the city’s guidelines for cash reserves, but Mayor Scott Fadness believes the extra money could be a cushion when plans advance in the coming months for a new city hall, arts center and community center, none of which are part of the 2022 budget proposal.

Fadness expects those project plans to be better understand once a group of experts sift through requests for proposals from the private sector.

But the city does plan to hire 3 more uniformed police officers next year, bringing the total of the sworn officers in Fishers to 123.  The city plans to fully staff the new fire station on the northeast side of the city (once constructed) by hiring 8 new firefighters.

City employees (including elected officials) would receive a 4% pay increase in 2022 under the mayor’s proposal.

Fadness is concerned about a 3.6% decrease in Local Income Tax (LIT) funds for 2022, based on numbers provided by the state.  City number crunchers had forecast a 4.1% increase in that tax revenue.  The difference is costing the city $5 million in revenue.  Fadness has asked House Speaker Todd Huston for an explanation as to how the Indiana Department of Revenue came up with the distribution allocation numbers.

HSE Schools will begin their budget process shortly.  Expect an increase in the 2021 budget of $259.25 million when the 2022 plan is revealed.

Ever since the beginnings of this local Fishers news blog in 2012, I have sent the same message to those kind enough to read me.  Budgets are perhaps the biggest decisions local governments make.  It sets the priorities for government in the coming year.  Yet, there is often very little public comment on the budgets during the decision-making process.

The Fishers City Council has a lot to say about the final budget numbers.  The council will conduct a public hearing on the 2022 budget plan.  Take the time to understand the priorities in the city budget and, if you think priorities should be different, this is your chance to have your voice heard.

Bottom line is this….pay attention to budgets.  They decide where your tax dollars are spent.