The thank you signs outside Snider High School stand as acknowledgement of the support voters in the Fort Wayne Community Schools district gave last year for a $119 million school-building repair project. In the state’s new property tax-cap environment, asking and acknowledging support for services once taken for granted is the best course.
The city of Fort Wayne should follow FWCS’ lead with signs noting the coming projects made possible by City Council’s vote to increase the local option income tax from 1 percent to 1.35 percent. The increase takes effect Oct. 1 and will generate about $13.5 million a year for public safety and road and parks improvements.
Over the last few weeks, city officials have announced how they plan to spend the additional tax dollars. They will use $1.6 million to hire 20 new police officers and $1.2 million to hire firefighters. Both public safety departments have gone understaffed over the last couple of years because of budget constraints.
The Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department is getting $3 million of the money to maintain the city’s parks. The new money will allow the department to pay for maintenance as needed rather than borrowing money for basic repairs.
Al Moll, the parks director, described the move as one of the most significant events to happen to the park system.
The additional tax dollars will pay for a splash pad for Hamilton Park, a new restroom in Shoaff Park, renovations at the Diehm Museum Pavilion and cover the first year of a 10-year plan to resurface park roads, parking lots, and tennis and basketball courts. The money will also cover sidewalk improvements, roof replacements, electric and HVAC work, and pool and playground maintenance.
Survey after survey shows that the city’s parks earn high marks from residents and play a key role in the quality of life in Fort Wayne. Preserving the parks is a high priority for residents, but it costs money.
Too often there is a disconnect between the government services residents demand or expect and the tax dollars they are willing to pay for those services. No one wants to pay higher taxes, but it takes money to ensure the police force is adequately staffed and the roads are maintained.
The city will spend the rest of the money on street and road projects. City officials estimate they are $60 million behind in road maintenance projects because of the decline in gas tax revenue.
Hanging a sign on each of the new police and fire recruits won’t work. But posting a sign by each new park or road project would be a reminder to citizens that these projects are happening only as a result of the increased taxes they are contributing.
