08-01-18 Personnel and Finance (#1)

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®CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK and their children from lead poisoning through the rental unit inspection, dedicated low-income home owner abatement fund, and the pursuit of Federal grant funding for expanded remediation resources. We will continue to implement recommendations in the mayor's working group on homelessness to continue supporting low-barrier housing initiatives. We will maintain progress toward decreasing gun violence with the GVI initiative and outreach. We will also address addiction and substance issues in South Bend enforcing the ordinance passed in 2017 and, of course,working with Not In Our Community. We will make final preparations for hitting the 2020 fiscal curb. We also develop South Bend's national reputation as an attractive place for investment and innovation. We will sustainably and equitably utilize State infrastructure funds while addressing long-term funding challenges for infrastructure. We will also identify and reduce barriers to inclusive economic growth. We will complete the study on MBE/WBE procurement to encourage the growth of small and diverse businesses and enterprises. We will work with South Bend Schools to ensure coordinated efforts and will continue the integration of performance management and Priority Based Budgeting into the City's operations. Committee Chair White opened the floor to questions from Committee and Council Members. Committeemember John Voorde stated, I think a lot of us have received calls about the assessment notices that went out a few weeks ago. Have we had any communication or outreach to the Assessor's Office for an explanation of that process? Most people don't understand why and how that all happened. Mayor Pete Buttigieg,Mayor of the City of South Bend with offices on the 14th floor of the County- City Building,replied, Yes,I think we have had a number of offline or informal conversations that I heard there may be a desire for the Assessor's Office to brief Council on this. Our position as an Administration in interacting with the Assessor's Office has always been that we just want to make sure it is fair and accurate. It is not about having it higher or lower, although we have noted that when assessments are off across the board, what typically happens if you're over assessed, you come appeal and if you are under assessed you kind of keep that to yourself. There is a net hit to the revenue of the City. Our sense is that there have been some gains made such as the engagement with Notre Dame to help figure out those submarkets. I am leery of getting too involved in another branch of government but the City has so much at stake with those assessments.We just want them to be accurate and I don't think it is unfair of us to ask questions there. We have been doing it at more of an informal level but we welcome County representatives to share what all goes into that. Committeemember Voorde followed up, President Tim Scott and I were talking last night during your Mayor's Night Out,which was really well attended I thought,but we were talking about how there seems to be a cycle where people appeal every year. It just doesn't seem it ought to be that way if there were a better understanding of how the whole process worked and if people were more confident the assessments were fair. You are right about that. Mayor Pete followed up,And I think there is an amount of sticker shock that happens when it goes up by a huge percentage. The question is, obviously, does that mean it went up too high or does that mean it was just lower than it was all along? I think that is the question the Assessor's Office has to satisfy every time there is an appeal. Thank you for raising that and we are watching it closely too. EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 1227W.Jefferson Bvld I South Bend,Indiana 466011 p 574.235.9221 If574.235.9173ITM574.235.5567lwww.southbendin.gov 3