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SEPTEMBER 2009 Letter from the Mayor What your taxes have saved Dear Friends and Neighbors, During the past several months, we have had extensive public discussion about how to provide sustainable funding for local government. Property tax caps, which take effect this year, provide a savings for property owners. That savings will be even greater in 2010 when the caps reach their final level. However, those savings also mean a corresponding loss of revenue for cities and towns, schools, libraries and county government. We expect to lose $22 million in revenue just for the City of South Bend. Despite ongoing efforts to streamline our workforce and find more efficient ways to deliver services, the projected revenue loss put essential city functions at risk. Because of concern for maintaining key services, the South Bend and St. Joseph County councils voted in July to enact an additional 0.95 percent local option income tax to replace some of the revenue lost to the property tax caps. South Bend will still cut $6 million to $8 million from its budget for 2010, but with the support of these new revenues, we are able to fund top priorities for our community. Through surveys, Town Hall meetings and public hearings, we heard that economic development, public safety, streets and park programming are highly valued by our residents. During the income tax hearings, many people spoke about the importance of these services to quality of life in our community. As we finalize our 2010 budget, we are putting new local income taxes into public safety and parks programs: • Retaining police and firefighters — The new 0.25 percent public safety tax, combined with a federal stimulus grant, will allow us to fill 14 vacant positions and to retain current sworn officers in our police and fire departments. This will bring both departments to full strength. Without these funds, we had expected to cut 70 police and fire positions. • Preserving key park facilities and programs —Additional revenue will help us keep open several facilities threatened with closure: two city swimming pools and the East Race Waterway, Howard Park Ice Rink, as well as the Martin Luther King Jr. and Charles Black Sr. recreation centers. It will also allow us to continue several swimming recreation programs. • Saving nearly 100 vital positions citywide — Despite cutting 26 positions in 2009 and planning to reduce another 55 in 2010, the City avoided a far worse scenario. We would have needed to cut an additional 98 positions had the local income taxes not passed. Most of them would have been police and firefighters, since these departments receive more than two- thirds of property-tax revenues. Preventing the elimination of essential city services — Because of global economic conditions, the cuts in City services would have needed to have been greater than originally anticipated. The new income taxes helped to avert disastrous cuts, but we understand that there is still a need to find more efficiencies in the delivery of services. We are committed to continued streamlining. Next month, I'll describe the cuts we've made this year and for 2010 that will help us continue to live within our means. Sincerely, THIS MONTH... Mayor's Letter Eddy Street Commons Leaf Pickup Fire Prevention Open House Homebuyer's Programs Fall Family Fun Fair Date Correction Fall Into Fun Park & Rec. Events Football Friday's Block Party S.B. Animal Care & Control Eddy Street Commons at Notre Dame is open! The first residential component of Eddy Street Commons, The Foundry Lofts & Apartments, welcomed resi- dents to the new mixed use development on August 15 and the "for sale" residential is under construction. Retailers will begin opening in Sep- tember and will continue throughout the year as shops and restaurants complete their construction. Be sure to stop by Eddy Street Commons to welcome them to South Bend! SI USTED NO ENTIENDE INGLES Y NE- CESITA AYUDA PARA TRADUCIR ESTE DOCUMENTO, O SI TIENE ALGUNA PREGUNTA, POR FAVOR LLAME AL