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James Mueller, Chief of Staff to the Mayor- 14th Floor County -City Building, first shared <br />the Administration's Core Values and Mission Statement which is: "We Deliver Services <br />that -Enable Everyone to Thrive." Mr. Mueller gave an overview of the General Plus Fund <br />revealing that the Mayor, Council and Clerk only compose two percent (2 %) of the entire <br />fund. Most institutions would be proud of that lean level of expenditures being dedicated <br />to leadership; there are few examples in which you'd find under ten percent (10 %) of <br />expenditures dedicated to general administration and leadership. <br />Mr. Mueller went on to discuss the general organizational structure and staffing of the <br />office. The overall budget increased by $124,000 from 2015 mainly due to healthcare, <br />wage /fringe benefits increases, and allocations for administrative services and IT. The <br />Mayor (pending the Deputy Mayor position), Communications Director and Chief of <br />Staff will not have wage increases this year. Mr. Mueller went on to discuss a general <br />overview of the proposed funds for 2016 with the Salaries account followed by the <br />Printing & Advertising account composing the largest share of all funds. <br />There were many achievements to note for 2016, but the Office of the Mayor is <br />particularly proud of the Mayor's Youth Taskforce, Diversity and Inclusion Plan, and the <br />new City Flag. The Mayor's Youth Taskforce is being led by Cherri Peate and has <br />garnered large support from South Bend Community Schools and the media. The <br />taskforce is currently accepting applications for the next cohort of students. <br />In the next few months, the Office of the Mayor has the following goals: get the <br />Municipal ID program off the ground through a collaboration with La Casa, hire a new <br />Director of Community Investment to replace Scott Ford, and to launch the My Brother's <br />Keeper Initiative. The Initiative is a White House program aimed at supporting African- <br />American males' success. The Office of the Mayor also hopes to tackle some challenges, <br />including, staying ahead of the fiscal cliff, continuing work on the Group Violence <br />Initiative, funding as it relates to infrastructure, and looking at inclusive growth across <br />the community, with a potential partnership with the new School Superintendent. <br />Councilmember Scott asked Mr. Mueller to elaborate on the Municipal ID program and <br />the La Casa collaboration. <br />Mr. Mueller expressed that due to APRA laws it's necessary for the La Casa to <br />administer the program in order to protect the information of individuals. <br />Councilmember Scott wondered if other governmental entities (e.g. Mishawaka or the <br />County) would be obligated to accept the ID as valid if not administered by a <br />governmental agency. <br />Mr. Mueller acknowledged the barrier and suggested other entities would not be <br />obligated to accept the ID even if the City administered the program. It is a matter of <br />working with these other entities, he argued. <br />2 <br />