MAYOR WINNECKE PRESENTS HIS FINAL BUDGET TO THE CITY COUNCIL

(Attached s the full transcript of Mayor Winnecke’s speech, along with the accompanying slides, for your reference and use posted at the bottom of this page)

 Good afternoon. It’s a pleasure to stand before you to present our 12th, and final, budget for the city of Evansville.

Preparing the 2024 spending plan proved to be equally challenging as each of the previous eleven. City government is a large operation, requiring regular reinvestment in technology, equipment, and talent. City government does not have unlimited resources, yet faces the same inflationary and interest rate challenges as other organizations and private citizens. Put more bluntly: equipment and projects are costing more. And to add insult to injury, delivery times and completion dates are longer than ever because of either unusual demand or unresolved supply chain issues. 

Case in point: a fire department pumper — an engine — which cost under 500-thousand dollars with a 12-month lead time when we took office NOW costs more than 900 thousand dollars with a three-year lead time. That is but one example. 

Despite the challenges, we are presenting a balanced budget that we believe addresses our greatest priorities — not all of our priorities — but what we believe are the most pressing. 

There are definitely items in this proposal which are different, namely the salary for my successor and for our City Clerk. Both of those proposals are more aligned with counterparts from across the state. The recently completed swim season revealed potential long-term challenges at Hartke Pool, so we’ve included planning dollars for that facility. 

Our funding streams for 2024 are a mixed bag. We are projecting: 

• • a 19% increase in casino funding 
• • Local Income Tax revenue will increase very slightly 

• • Motor Vehicle Highway and Local Roads and Streets will both be down by more than 2% each. 
• • Another big bright spot is Food and Beverage Tax revenue, which goes entirely to debt service at the Ford Center, is projected to increase by 16%. 

Some of our large expense drivers include: 

• • the Circuit Breaker…it will increase another 1.2% in 2024. If not for the property tax caps, we would have another $16 million with which to operate. Since property tax caps went into place, city government has seen a reduction in tax revenue by more than $100 million. 
• • The city’s combined electric bills will increase by almost 11% next year 
• • The city’s combined gas bills will increase another 25% 
• • Health insurance is a much better story than usual. We are projecting an increase of just 1.9%. 
• • And our liability insurance will increase by 7%. 

We have many capital budget needs. The following represents a sampling of what we propose: 

• • 40 new police cars 
• • Two new K-9 officers 
• • On-going investment in tasers and safety vests 
• • Replacing dated portable radios 
• • On-going investment in police body cameras 
• • 1 new quint 
• • Two new engines (ordering this year to account for a three-year lead time) 

• • Continued investment in the fire department’s quartermaster system 
• • On-going fire station repairs 
• • New computer-aided dispatch system 
• • Upgrades to six storm sirens 
• • Rodent control 
• • Demolition of dangerous buildings 
• • Structural improvements to improve drainage along Green River Road 
• • The Walker drainage project on the west side to coincide with the Lloyd 4 U improvements 
• • Phase three of the Walnut Street Connector 
• • And the roundabout at Cross Pointe Boulevard and Indiana, which is planned to be constructed simultaneously to the east side Lloyd 4 U projects 
• • a new hybrid bus for METS, adding to the five new hybrids expected to go into service this fall 
• • additional bus shelters 
• • a new tracking system to replace the Doublemap system 
• • continued improvements at Mesker Park Zoo to maintain AZA standards 
• • Amazonia renovations 
• • Kley Building improvements 
• • A new HVAC system for the west rink at Swonder 
• • Hartke Pool planning 
• • Improved lighting at city parks 
• • Boardwalk improvements at Howell Wetlands 
• • Cart path improvements at each of the golf courses 
• • Improvements to the McDonald’s Golf Course Parking lot 
• • Significant improvements at the Ford Center, namely the replacement of the scoreboard and ribbon board 
• • Concession stand upgrades 

• • And replacement of the audio system 
• • We have also included $250,000 for the Land Bank 
• • And a half million dollars for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund 

This, of course, is not a comprehensive list of our capital needs for 2024 but does represent most of the larger needs we are facing in the new year. 

In conclusion, I’d like to thank you for the constructive, professional, and respectful relationship we have enjoyed over these last four years. Our city has benefited from our cooperation. I look forward to working with you on the 2024 spending plan 

2024_Budget_Presentation_Slides