HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-06-2011 Luecke affirms signs of progress in State of the City
Office of the Mayor
NEWS RELEASE
February 6, 2011
1pm
Luecke affirms signs of progress in State of the City
Contact:
Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications & Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564
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South Bend, IN:
Mayor Stephen J. Luecke will give his 15 and final State of the City
address to the Common Council at 6 p.m. Monday at a place that reflects the signs of
progress and potential he sees for South Bend: the Indiana University School of Medicine in
South Bend.
Located across from the University of Notre Dame campus, the School of Medicine is
nearing completion of a new $20-million Harper Cancer Research Institute.
“In the past five years, the school has tremendously expanded its faculty and support staff,
attracting nationally known researchers who have brought significant funding for major
research programs in genetics, cancer, immunology and infectious diseases. This funding
contributes to our economy but, more importantly, it enhances South Bend’s emerging
research base with the University of Notre Dame and Innovation Park as part of our state-
certified technology park,” Luecke said. “The School of Medicine is exactly the right place to
report that, despite rumors to the contrary, South Bend is alive and well – and poised for
additional growth and development.”
Luecke will highlight signs of progress and potential for South Bend in his speech from the
city’s Northeast Neighborhood – where revitalization efforts brought national acclaim to the
City of South Bend. In 2010, South Bend was given the Gold Award for Municipal
Excellence from the National League of Cities, the nation’s oldest and largest municipal
organization.
“Signs of excellence are all around us here – in this growing school; in an area designated
for our dual-site, state-certified technology park; on the edge of the Notre Dame campus;
adjacent to Eddy Street Commons, the region’s largest mixed-use development in decades;
and in South Bend’s diverse Northeast Neighborhood,” he said. “This convergence of
focused activity has drawn national attention to South Bend.”
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Luecke also will speak about challenges facing the city as it has weathered the nation’s worst
economic environment in a generation and the loss of $12.2 million in property tax revenue
as a result of Indiana’s property tax caps.
“Several years ago, as we anticipated the impact of property-tax caps, we did several things
to keep South Bend strong,” Luecke said. “We made strategic cuts that did not dilute
essential services; we held public hearings to better understand our residents’ priorities; and
we increased local income taxes to replace some of the revenue lost to the caps in order to be
able to fund our priorities: bringing police and fire departments back to full staffing,
investing in economic-development initiatives, and sustaining parks activities and facilities.”
In 2010, two national ratings agencies increased the city’s bond rating, citing prudent fiscal
management, sufficient cash reserves and spending reductions as well as diverse and stable
revenue resources.
Luecke will also share some good news. Reports of major crimes in South Bend fell 3
percent in 2010 – reaching their lowest levels in 40 years. In five categories in 2010 – total
major crimes, murders, non-residential burglaries, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts –
reported incidents reached record lows for the past four decades.
“Our commitment to public safety has never been stronger,” said Luecke, noting that 80
percent of the City’s General Fund supports police and fire personnel. “South Bend is a safer
community today than when I took office and the safest it has been in a generation. But I
know there is still more to do, especially in preventing residential burglaries. Nonetheless,
our public’s safety is in better shape and improving.”
During an economic period when private-sector investment has lagged, South Bend has seen
an exceptional year in public construction projects. Nearly $24 million in road projects
created 260 private-sector construction jobs in the community (most with local contractors.).
In addition, $8 million in contracts administered in South Bend by the Indiana Department of
Transportation added another 87 jobs, about half funded by the federal stimulus.
“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act accelerated our schedule for resurfacing city
streets by two years,” Luecke said. “We completed 30.3 miles of streets – more than double
our 2009 level.”
The City also has supported job creation through its Business Growth Initiative with the
Chamber of Commerce, in which 418 visits to local businesses resolved more than 100 issues
and helped facilitate nearly $6 million in new private investment.
“One of the roles of the public sector is to prepare development sites and make infrastructure
investments to attract private investors when the market rebounds,” Luecke said.
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