Mayor Scott Fadness laid out his 2025 Fishers city spending plan before the City Council Finance Committee Thursday morning, totaling $182.5 million.  Of that total, just under $144 million will go to operations and capital projects, which $38.5 million going to debt service.  The 2024 Fishers city budget totaled $164 million.

The mayor says his budget calls for no change in the city’s part of the local property tax rate, which will remain at $0.707, which Fadness says keeps the rate at or below this level for the fourth straight year.

Also on the income side of the ledger, Fadness once again voiced his frustration over the imbalance of local income tax distributions.  Hamilton County is set to receive $262 million in local income tax revenue.  Of that total, Fishers will receive $36.2 million and Carmel is set to have $64.9 million.

City employees would receive a 6% pay increase in 2025, including elected officials. Fishers also plans to increase the match to workers’ “457” retirement plans an extra $1,000 each, with a total match for each worker up to $2,500.  The 457 plan is a way municipal workers can save through a retirement account, roughly similar to a private sector 401(k) plan.

Here are a few items to be part of next year’s city budget:

–The Fire Department plans to add a new ladder truck, a new engine, a medic and the department will take over the Project Lifesaver (tracking Alzeimer’s patients electronically) from Hamilton County.

–The addition of 2 School Resource Officers (SROs) for local school buildings.  Officers near retirement may be targeted for this assignment.

–The Health Department will add a vaccine program and move its staff into the new Community Center late next year.

–Department of Public Works will enhance its landscaping contract.

–The city controller’s office will add an employee to assist with trash billing & payments.

–The Parks Department plans to add another Agri Park, this one on Airport Authority land at 106th Street and Allisonville Road.  Restrooms will be added to the current Agri Park on the east side of the city.  The Community Center, set to open during the last three months of 2025, will have 13 full-time positions.

There was a lengthy discussion of the Sewer rates, which will increase $3 per month to cover increased costs.  Fadness says an outside study concluded the rate should go up $8 per month, but the city staff pushed back and decided to request the $3 per month increase.

The mayor is proposing $250,000 to fund local nonprofit groups, but recommends the Council abolish the City Council Nonprofit Committee that decided which organizations received grants from the city and how much each would receive.  Under the city staff proposal, grants would go to Conner Prairie, Youth Mentoring Initiative. Youth Assistance Program, Cherish Center and programming for the new Community Center.

The city will add $50,000 to the teacher innovation grant program under this proposed budget in 2025.  Fishers will also continue to support HSE Schools experiential learning programs through the Agri Park and the Maker Space at Hub & Spoke.

Fadness says city funds will continue to support neighborhood vibrancy grants, along with continued money similar to 2024 for infrastructure through road improvements, trails and road resurfacing.

The mayor touted the fiscal discipline the city has achieved, saying the increased match for employees’ 457 retirement plans did not come from additional revenue, but watching the budget carefully.

A public hearing on the 2025 budget will be held by the City Council September 9 and the final vote on the spending plan scheduled for the October 7 Council session.