2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

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Code Enforcement: Maintaining and improving the physical quality of life in our neighborhoods. Park and Recreation: Offering all residents and guests of South Bend the highest quality of recreational and leisure activities, while providing well- managed parks and recreational facilities with updated programming and friendly productive service. Community and Economic Development: Creating and expanding opportunities through partnerships in neighborhood revitalization, commercial and industrial development and community enhancement. Public Works: Providing leadership in the development and delivery of engineering, fleet, transportation, sanitation, wastewater, water and other services as called upon by our customers. Building Department: Serving our customers by inspecting, informing and ensuring a safe place to work, play and live. Century Center: Providing a state-of-the-art facility with excellent services to customers while generating maximum economic benefit to our community. Building South Bend in 2005 and beyond Mayor Stephen Luecke's theme for the past several years has been "We're Building South Bend." That theme has had a major influence on the development of the 2006 budget. There were five areas of concentration that became or remained budget priorities for 2006. We're Building Neighborhoods - Mayor Luecke and the City's elected officials continued their strong commitment to neighborhoods. The City will invest $4.7 million to fund or leverage state and federal funding for housing assistance, development and home ownership programs, neighborhood public works and parks, neighborhood development for social services and organizations, and public safety initiatives. Committing these resources will help us maintain, improve and support strong neighborhood development. We're Building a Safe City - Public safety is the foundation of all the City's efforts to build South Bend. Through the targeted and creative use of available resources, the City is working to provide quality police, fire and ambulance services for the community. The crime rate has increased in several significant categories over past year. South Bend has 2.4 police officers and 2.3 firefighters per thousand population. These ratios are among the highest in the state and well above the national average. We believe that these extra officers are important for officer safety and community safety. We will also complete the long awaited and much needed design for renovation and expansion of Police Department offices. The City's Fire Department is rated one of the highest in the State. We have recently refurbished Xiii