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[Mayor's Letter cont'd from previous page)
<br />St. Paddy's Day
<br />improvements: up to $2,000 for mid -block lots, and up to $4,000 for
<br />Tent Party &
<br />If we tried to minimize the impact on public safety and we com-
<br />,
<br />pletely eliminated Parks, our capital fund for equipment, and our support for
<br />!l► Pub Tour
<br />the Morris Performing Arts Center & Palais Ballroom, we would still need
<br />schedules and completes the work.
<br />to make 10% cuts in the other areas — 26 fewer police officers, 25 fewer
<br />■ Friday, March 14th
<br />firefighters, 10 fewer support personnel for public safety (including 3 in the
<br />5:00 -11:00 PM
<br />Communications Center), 18 fewer general government or street department
<br />■ LaSalle Hotel Parking
<br />staff. Similar cuts would be needed by the County and Mishawaka, by our
<br />Lot (237 N. Michigan St.) downtown South
<br />schools and libraries. This scenario is unacceptable. We have worked hard
<br />■ Bend.
<br />to provide efficient and effective services for our taxpayers. A box on this
<br />Kick off your St. Patirck's Day weekend
<br />page lists some of the cost savings we have achieved. We cannot cut over
<br />■ with the downtown South Bend Tent Party and
<br />33% of our levy and continue to provide essential services. Replacement
<br />Pub Tour! Join Stillshot and Mack Pherson and
<br />funds are necessary to provide the basic services that our community de-
<br />■ the Struts as they rock the night away in down -
<br />mands.
<br />■ town! The tent party is just the beginning,
<br />HB 1001 does provide for a Local Option Income Tax to replace
<br />Transpo Trolleys will give partygoers free trans -
<br />revenue lost to the property tax caps. In St. Joseph County, it would take
<br />■ portation on a pub tour experience like no other...
<br />1.2% additional income tax to replace lost property taxes for all units of
<br />For more information, please contact Jitin
<br />government. If the State does not replace the revenues lost to the property
<br />■ gain at 574- 282 -1110. www.t)addvt)artv.com
<br />tax caps, we will need to enact this local tax to support public safety, parks,
<br />■
<br />economic development and quality of life in South Bend and throughout St.
<br />Joseph County. I strongly support property tax reform that provides a fair,
<br />■
<br />understandable way of funding basic services and that does not strangle our
<br />■
<br />community. The current crisis is the result of several actions: the initial
<br />7�7
<br />court- ordered reassessment which shifted taxes from business to residential,
<br />■
<br />the implementation of trending to better reflect market value and the aboli-
<br />tion of the inventory tax. These were well- intentioned efforts that had unex-
<br />■
<br />pected results. We need to make sure that the current rush to fix property
<br />12th Annual
<br />taxes does not have unintended consequences that further harm our commu-
<br />■
<br />River Bank Clean -Up
<br />nities.
<br />Sincerely,
<br />■ The Friends of the St, Joe River will host the
<br />river bank clean up on Saturday, March 29,
<br />■ 2008, from 9 A.M. until 1 :00 P.M. The stretch
<br />to be cleaned this year will be from the Logan
<br />Mayor Steve
<br />■ Street bridge downstream to Howard Park. Check
<br />■■■■■■■■■■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
<br />■� in station will be at Veterans Memorial Park near
<br />■ I.U. S.B. Trash bags and drinking water will be
<br />CURB & SIDEWALK PROGRAM
<br />■ provided. Volunteers should dress appropriately
<br />The 15th annual, Good Neighbors/ Good Neighborhoods Curb and
<br />with long sleeve shirts, work clothes, and gloves.
<br />Sidewalk Program will help to replace damaged curbs and sidewalks to
<br />■ For more information call Mike Hay at
<br />build a Safe City!
<br />: 574- 271 -0973.
<br />The program, open to all residential, commercial, institutional and ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
<br />rental properties within City limits, offers several options: Sidewalk
<br />Only, Curb Only, or Combination Sidewalk & Curb. The City will pro- • You determine whether the Cost Proposal is
<br />vide up to 50% (Loan Program) or 60% (Cash Option) of the cost of
<br />acceptable and notify the Dept. of your deci-
<br />improvements: up to $2,000 for mid -block lots, and up to $4,000 for
<br />sion to proceed.
<br />corner lots, if work is done on both sides. 100% of needed wheelchair
<br />• Upon receiving your commitment, we send
<br />accessibility ramps, corner radii and alley approaches will be covered by
<br />your information to our contractor, who
<br />the City, for work done on your property. Contractors are chosen
<br />schedules and completes the work.
<br />through the public bid process to ensure the lowest cost, and scheduling
<br />Applications are available by calling the
<br />priority will be given for more than five (5) adjacent properties in a
<br />Div. of Engineering at 235 -9251, and are ac-
<br />block participating in the program. Several payment options are avail-
<br />cepted year- round. If we are unable to com-
<br />able, and Visa and MasterCard are accepted!
<br />plete your property by the end of the program
<br />Getting your curb and sidewalk replaced is easy!
<br />on October 3, 2008, we will be happy to put
<br />• Request and submit an application to the Division of Engineering.
<br />you on the list for 2009.
<br />• Applications processed in the order received.
<br />Join the 3,426 property owners who have
<br />• Inspector comes to your property and measures the work
<br />shared in nearly $7.7 million worth of improve -
<br />to be done.
<br />ments since the program began, and help us
<br />• The Division of Engineering sends you a Cost Proposal.
<br />build a safe, clean and attractive 21st Century
<br />City!
<br />hisit Our Website at www SoutliBendIN.gov!
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