Evansville, IN – The Vanderburgh County Republican Party today voices serious concern regarding the City of Evansville’s newly adopted 2026 budget, citing fiscal mismanagement and misplaced spending priorities.
Two City Council members were absent from one of the most consequential budget meetings of the year. A meeting that approved $175,000 for a new city website despite the absence of a vendor, quote,or proposal. This same expenditure was previously rejected for those very reasons.
Mayor Stephanie Terry has attributed budgetary challenges to Indiana Senate Bill 1, which provides approximately $300 in annual property tax relief for the average Evansville homeowner. While the Mayor has described the bill’s impact on municipal revenues as significant, the city’s spending tells adifferent story.
Despite acknowledging revenue pressures, the city has allocated funding for a new municipal ambulance service, a non-mandated initiative with considerable financial risk. The service will operate under a soft-billing model, meaning residents are not obligated to pay the balance of their ambulance costs. Based on projected transports, this approach could leave $10–15 million in uncollected revenue.
Additionally, the Evansville Fire Department has financed the service through a 0% interest loan from the city’s riverboat fund. There are no enforcement provisions for repayment, and when repaid, funds will be redirected to the general fund rather than restored to their original source. If the service’s revenue projections fall short, taxpayers will bear the burden, potentially leading to an increase in Evansville’s local income tax rate from the current 1.25% to levels seen in comparable to Democrat-run cities like Bloomington and Terre Haute, where residents currently pay 2%.
No city operates an ambulance service to generate profit. The claim that Evansville can do so, while expanding spending elsewhere, is unrealistic and fiscally unsound. The Vanderburgh County Republican Party urges the City of Evansville to prioritize transparency, spending discipline, and fiscal accountability to ensure the city’s long-term financial stability.
