UPDATE (October 21, 2026):
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The City of Fort Wayne’s proposed budget was up for discussion Tuesday at City Council.
Ultimately, councilmembers made cuts, including funding for the development on what is known as the North River District. Funding for a public downtown restroom was also cut from the budget. Around $11 million was taken out of the initial proposal from Mayor Tucker.
Mayor Sharon Tucker released the following after the meeting:
My administration and I work diligently each day to provide residents, neighborhoods, businesses, and visitors with a fun, family friendly, and safe community. We do this by investing in neighborhood infrastructure, maintaining our parks, and ensuring we have public safety personnel to respond to emergencies. This dedicated work is one of the reasons why we’re the fastest growing city in the Midwest.
With all of the positive activity happening in Fort Wayne, we took a step back at tonight’s City Council meeting with mainly party-line votes on several cuts to the proposed 2027 City of Fort Wayne budget. I strongly believe the cuts were unnecessary. I feel remorse for our great city this evening by the actions that were taken. To be clear, they made cuts this evening and at the same time told us to come back in the future and ask for the funds again. They were asking us to do what was already in the budget.
The City Controller’s office in partnership with City of Fort Wayne Division and Department Heads put together a responsible budget that protects taxpayers and looks ahead to future projects. I have previously stated that this budget is crafted to position the City to prepare for future revenue changes over the next five years. The 2027 budget will be an investment in making Fort Wayne viable and sustainable for years to come. We’re confident in the budget that was put together and stand by our budgeting priorities.
I’ll continue to fight for our residents to make Fort Wayne the best place possible to call home.
ORIGINAL STORY:
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Mayor Tucker says Fort Wayne is in a strong financial position as she and City Controller Pat Roller announced the proposed 2027 budget for the City of Fort Wayne.
However, recent legislative changes will continue to be phased in over the next few years, creating significant uncertainty about future revenues, according to the mayor.
The proposed budget for 2027 calls for investments in neighborhood infrastructure, enhancements in city parks, and safety.
The following was released:
2027 budget highlights
*Continuation of commitment to neighborhood infrastructure projects with a planned investment of $42 million led by the Public Works Division, which includes $31.9 million for streets, roads and neighborhoods, $6.7 million for sidewalks and alleys, $1.3 million for bridges, and $2.1 million for trails. Work will include upgrades in all six City Council districts and four quadrants.
*Investments in capital projects through the Parks & Recreation Department will total $4.3 million.
*The Fort Wayne Police Department will have its 71st recruit class that will keep the budgeted number of officers patrolling City streets to protect the public at 510.
*The Fort Wayne Fire Department will have its 100th recruit class to maintain 375 firefighters.
*The Community Development Division will feature continued priorities such as neighborhoods, connectivity, housing, safety, and economic growth.
*The City will adopt the State of Indiana’s allowable tax levy in order to continue to provide essential services.
*The property tax supported operating budget, also known as the Civil City budget, is $257.7 million. This represents a $7.2 million (2.9%) increase compared to 2026.
“This budget is crafted to position the City to prepare for future revenue changes over the next five years. I want taxpayers to know that we care for them and use the resources given to us in a prudent manner,” said Mayor Tucker. “The 2027 budget will be an investment in making Fort Wayne viable and sustainable for years to come. My team and I look forward to working with City Council to approve this important budget. It’s critical for our entire community to come together – residents, neighborhoods, and businesses – to help meet the needs of our growing and successful city.”
Examples of positive indicators moving forward:
*Property assessed valuations continue to rise, but smaller growth is being seen
*Local income tax revenue is increasing
*The City continues to maintain sufficient cash reserves and is completing additional Public Works projects with monies deemed to be above the adequate reserve levels.
Mayor Tucker’s Administration will present a budget overview at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The budget is available at http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/smartgov.
Fort Wayne continues to be an award-winning community. Fiscal responsibility is one of the measurements that has helped Fort Wayne achieve national recognition.
Recent recognition for the City of Fort Wayne:
-7th best run city in the country by WalletHub
-Fastest growing large city in the Midwest – U.S. Census Bureau data
-LinkedIn named Fort Wayne as the 18th top city on the rise in the U.S. in a listing of the 25 fastest-growing U.S. metros for jobs and new talent
-4th most affordable city to live in by Extraspace.com
-17th top housing market in the U.S. by The Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com
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