Tax Hike Looming

Fort Wayne's budget is up in the air once again.  The question at hand is should the city cut back on services like the police and fire department or raise income taxes to pay for those services we expect.

City Councilman Geoff paddock says he treads carefully when tax increases are on the table. 

"It getting harder to find the funds to keep those services going at the level folks have come to expect," said Paddock.    

Paddock recognizes that additional revenue is needed to sustain many of the services that Fort Wayne citizens enjoy and expect.

"The police department and fire department will come up short in the next year or so if we don't start to hire folks back through an academy program so that's something we want to look at for funding in 2014," said Paddock.    

The proposal on the table is to, "Raise income taxes slightly about one half of one percent so we can have the extra funds to keep services at the level we have established and to continue to have a strong police and fire department," said Paddock.    

"Taxes are inevitable and if that's what it takes to make our city safe I'll pay it," said Joan Dey, a Fort Wayne resident.    

Dey has good reason behind why she wants to see taxes increased. 

"My son is a Fort Wayne firefighter.  I want to be protected I enjoy the fact that there's a fire station down the street from me I don't want to cut that back," said Dey.   

Others think the city can find other ways to come up with that needed revenue. 

"Don't raise taxes and don't necessarily cut services.  There's always a way to cut fat from a budget and I doubt it fully cut here in Fort Wayne," said Ed Digiulio.