Common Council - Regular Meeting

meeting of the Common Council of the City of Lawrence to order. Everyone please stand and join us for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. The next agenda item is roll call of members and the termination of quorum. Let the record reflect that we have nine councillors present and that we do have a quorum. This meeting has been properly noticed in accordance with Indiana's open door law and copies of the agenda are located at the back of the room. For citizens wishing to speak during citizens comments, please use the sign-in sheet also located at the back of the room. The next agenda item is comments of council members and special recognitions. Do we have any comments this evening? I wanted to take a few minutes to address a traffic safety concern that I've been working on in District 5 involving residents of the Indiana Lake Homeowners Association. I recently met with several of the residents and did a site visit with them to better understand their concerns. The issue involves a driveway that's hidden behind a curve and a downhill. And there's very limited line of sight to see if they're trying to pull out of their neighborhood. The residents have asked for the possibility of a traffic mirror potentially mounted on a tree located on private property. They want to make sure that they're not overstepping the city's bounds, and they don't want to have it removed or be fined by the city. I did reach out to the Department of Public Works, and we are working on a solution that hopefully can work for everybody. allowing them to put up the mirror, clearing some of the vegetation that's along that street, or maybe perhaps like a hidden driveway sign.

But I just wanted them to know that I have done what I can to help them get that fixed.

Do we have any other comments this evening? already we'll move on with the next agenda item which is the approval of minutes of the first of the month meeting of september uh i'm sorry of september do we have a motion to approve the minutes of the first of the month i think it looks like we have a motion in a second we'll now proceed with a vote All right, let the record reflect that we have a unanimous decision to approve the minutes. The next agenda item is reports of committees. Do we have any reports this evening? All right, we'll move right along. The next agenda item is unfinished business, proposal number three, 2026. Madam Clerk, could you please read the title of that into the record? I'm sorry? Proposal number three. Proposal number one.

Proposal number one, 2026, an ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Lawrence, Indiana, amending Title I, Article I, Chapter II, Section 12 of the Municipal Code regarding Common Council approval on expenditures of professional service contracts.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. That proposal remains before the Committee of the Whole for consideration and recommendation to the Council and will be brought back when appropriate. The next agenda item that we have is, I'm sorry, we should have proposal number three. Madam Clerk, could you please read the title of that into the record?

Proposal number three, 2026, an ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Lawrence, Indiana, adopting a code of ethics.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. That proposal also is before the Committee of the Whole and will be brought back when appropriate. The next agenda item is new business. We have one item in new business this evening. Mayor Whitfield and the city's controller presentation of the 2027 budget. I'd like to invite the administration to the podium.

Good evening, counselors, citizens, and the city of Lawrence employees. I am honored to present the 20. I am honored to present the proposed 2027 budget to this, uh, for the city of Lawrence. As you know, like all cities and towns, Indiana, we continue to navigate tight fiscal constraints under state property tax limitations. Nevertheless, the largest portion of our budget is public safety, which remains well funded under this proposal. In fact, since 2019, both the public and fire budgets have nearly doubled. Contrary to what some may think, we have and will continue to prioritize public safety, for all those who work, play, and live in the city of Lawrence. This will always remain a priority of my administration. I am especially pleased that we were able to have you, the Common Council members, input early in this budget-making process. From September 2nd through September 4th, Many of you participated in the budget workshops, and we truly appreciate your valuable input. On September 30th, as we outlined early on, we will publish the notice of taxpayers for the proposed 2027 budget tax rate and tax levy. On October 5th, the Finance Committee will meet to discuss the budget proposal. On October 15th, a public hearing will be held on this proposed budget. And on October 21st, you are on track to adopt the 2027 budget and salary ordinance. Now, for some highlight of our proposed 2027 budget. The proposed budget is overall balanced with a projected surplus of around $1.3 million for that year. We are proposing a 3% salary increase for all civilian positions. Almost all funds, including the general fund, are in a much better shape than what we expected last year. We had an overall surplus in the fiscal year of 2025 and ended with a total reserve of 53% increase, up from the projected 39%. We accomplished this through hiring freeze we implemented last year and the elimination of long vacant positions. Let me bring your attention to the slide. As you can see, our planned revenues are up in 2027, our expenses are down, and our 2026 deficit is projected to turn a surplus. As I often say, our number one priority is sound fiscal management. Despite the challenges created by SEA1 and the property tax constraints facing municipalities across Indiana, our overall reserves for operating funds are projected to remain strong at 46% through the end of the fiscal year of 2027. We will continue to remain vigilant, disciplined, and focus on protecting the financial health of our city. Additionally, we have significantly reduced our insurance costs by taking a proactive approach to our fleet safety. Under my administration, city departments, particularly the police department, have worked to reduce vehicle accidents, helping us lower costs and protect taxpayer dollars. And finally, with your adoption of the wheel tax last year, we were the first city in Marion County to do so, which is bringing in significant fiscal dividends to the city of Lawrence. Just a hand clap. This proposed budget reflects the approach we have taken since the beginning of my administration, investing where it matters, managing taxpayer dollars responsibly, and plan for the future. We know the fiscal environment will continue to present challenges, but Lawrence is in a stronger financial position because we have made some difficult decisions. We maintain discipline, and we stay focused on our priorities. This budget is about more than balancing numbers. It is about maintaining the services our residents depend upon, supporting people who serve our city, and positioning the city of Lawrence for continued progress. I am proud of the work that has brought us to this point. I look forward to working with the council and our residents as we move this budget forward. Next, I would like to turn to our city controller, Terry Faulkner, who will provide additional detail on the proposed 2027 civil city budget, including numbers and assumptions behind this proposal. Terry has been instrumental in helping us maintain the fiscal discipline reflected in this budget. And I appreciate her leadership and expertise. Following the presentation, we look forward to continuing the discussion and answering all of your questions during the finance committee meeting. Madame Controller, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mayor. Okay, good evening, Councilors. Good evening. Tonight, I, too, along with the Mayor, I'm honored to present this 2027 proposed budget for the City of Lawrence. We are pleased to submit a budget of our overall resources, funding of our overall surplus. But while it may look like we can see the light, through the trees, we're still in the woods. As Mayor Debra said, we still continue to face challenges resulting from the Senate Enrolled Act I. Challenges that specifically within our operating funds, which is our general fund, our EMS fund, and our public safety local income tax funds, that impact us today and are expected to continue to do so in the future. But we will continue to watch and monitor and these further challenges that we're going to have in this upcoming legislative session. So let me be clear. We cannot continue cutting expenses at the rate we have from 2026 to 2027. Our expenses long term. will likely outpace our revenues. And we will need to focus on new revenue sources to adequately fund our critical public safety and personnel needs. While what you see before you increases our reserves through 2027, what you have before you is a worst case scenario in 2026. but we pledge to work with the mayor and the department heads and we still have work to do and we will try to do so even up until the end of this year. As has been stated, the current budget is a surplus budget and allows for a 3% raise for all our city employees. This is something that the mayor was adamant about getting done, but we have been able to accomplish this in partnership with all our departments. by not fulfilling these vacant positions and effectively managing our insurance costs through greater controls on risk. Additionally, we have evaluated every expenditure to ensure that we present to you and our residents a budget that lives within our means and maintains adequate, strong reserves. Now, should our revenue come in, Better than what we expected, that's just a win-win. But at the beginning of this budget process, we started implementing quarterly budget meetings with all the department heads. And I have to say thank you, because every department contributed to these budget cuts. For every budget cut, they attributed to implementing the spending increases in our salary line. So again, the mayor, the department heads, and I look forward to answering your questions when your finance committee meets. So as you review this budget, if you have questions, please reach out so that we can address your questions appropriately. And I thank you for your attention.

Thank you, Ms. Falker. Thank you. The next agenda item is comments from the administration do we have any comments Thank you the next agenda item is citizens comments I If any citizens were wishing to speak, you can feel free to approach the podium. There's nobody? Okay. All right. Do I have a motion to adjourn? So moved. Thank you, Councillor Jennings. Do I have a second? Second. All right. All those in favor of adjourning, signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed, signify by saying nay. Meeting adjourned.