Text of Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry’s State of the City address, delivered at noon, February 15, 2012, at the Allen County Public Library’s Main Branch.
THANK YOU JEFF FOR THAT KIND INTRODUCTION.
ELECTED OFFICIALS, HONORED GUESTS, CITIZENS OF FORT WAYNE, WELCOME.
WHILE WE MUST WORK TO MAKE TODAY THE BEST IT CAN BE, OUR EYES SHOULD ALWAYS BE ON THE HORIZON. WE MUST LOOK TO THE FUTURE.
WE SHOULD BE DETERMINED TO MAKE A BETTER WORLD FOR OURSELVES, OUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, AND ALL OF THOSE WHO COME AFTER US.
IT IS THIS ETERNAL HOPE THAT DRIVES US FORWARD.
THIS LIBRARY IS A PLACE OF VISION AND DREAMS. NOT THAT MANY YEARS AGO, AN EXPANDED LIBRARY WAS JUST AN IDEA.
BUT BY WORKING TOGETHER, WE MADE IT A REALITY. AND THIS EXCEPTIONAL IDEA BECAME PART OF OUR COLLECTIVE VISION FOR A GROWING AND VIBRANT DOWNTOWN – SOMETHING WE KNEW WAS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT TO MAKING FORT WAYNE AND NORTHEAST INDIANA MORE ATTRACTIVE.
THE ABILITY TO TRANSFORM DREAMS INTO REALITIES IS WHAT GREAT COMMUNITIES DO;
THEY LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES;
THEY CELEBRATE THEIR PEOPLE;
THEY STUDY AND TAKE CONSIDERED RISKS;
THEY INVEST IN THEMSELVES;
AND THEY BUILD FOR THE FUTURE.
FORT WAYNE IS A GREAT COMMUNITY.
IN FACT, IN SPITE OF OUR MODESTY, FORT WAYNE IS A COMMUNITY THAT MANY AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE COME TO ENVY. OUR CHALLENGE IS TO KEEP THAT MOMENTUM GROWING.
AS WE MOVE INTO 2012, I AM KEENLY AWARE OF THE NUMEROUS CHALLENGES WE FACE,
THE LIMITS ON OUR RESOURCES,
AND THE MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE STILL HURTING.
BUT I AM EQUALLY ENCOURAGED BY ALL OF THE PROGRESS WE ARE MAKING AND THE BOUNDLESS ENERGY, CREATIVITY AND DEDICATION OF THE PEOPLE OF FORT WAYNE.
WE ARE BUILDING FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW, BECAUSE WE HAVE A FIRM FOUNDATION AND THE FEARLESS CONVICTION THAT FORT WAYNE HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A WORLD-CLASS COMMUNITY – A PLACE OF PRIDE AND OPPORTUNITY.
WITH THAT VISION IN MIND, MY JOB AS MAYOR IS TO ENSURE THAT FORT WAYNE IS READY TO COMPETE – THAT FORT WAYNE IS BUILT FOR SUCCESS.
IT IS WHY, AS MAYOR, I HAVE FOCUSED SO DILIGENTLY ON BUILDING A STRONG FISCAL FOUNDATION.
IT’S WHY I FOUGHT AGAINST THE ODDS TO SECURE OUR $75 MILLION LEGACY FUND.
IT’S WHY SO MANY WORKED SO HARD TO CREATE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BOARD, GIVING US THE FUNDS TO INVEST IN OUR CAPITAL AND ECONOMIC GOALS.
IT’S WHY OUR CITIZENS CONTRIBUTE SO GENEROUSLY TO OUR CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS.
WE KNOW THAT FORT WAYNE’S FUTURE IS OURS TO SHAPE.
WITH GOOD PLANS AND CAREFUL STEWARDSHIP – FORT WAYNE HAS THE MEANS TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
WE ARE NOW POISED FOR AN EVEN GREATER TOMORROW.
TRUTH IS…IT’S HARD TO DREAM WITHOUT RESOURCES. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPETE WITHOUT A STRONG FINANCIAL BASE. THAT’S WHY MY EYE IS ALWAYS ON THE BUDGET.
FOR FOUR STRAIGHT YEARS, IN THE WORST OF ECONOMIC TIMES, FORT WAYNE HAS HAD A FLAT BUDGET;
OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT IS HEALTHY WITH 19 MILLION DOLLARS IN RESERVE;
WE’VE REDUCED OUR EMPLOYEE HEADCOUNT BY 10 PERCENT, EXCEPT IN PUBLIC SAFETY AREAS;
AND, THIS YEAR’S BUDGET IS ACTUALLY SMALLER THAN THE ONE THAT WAS PASSED BEFORE I TOOK OFFICE.
OUR CITY FINANCES ARE STRONG. THE STATE OF OUR CITY IS STRONG.
AND THAT IS WHAT SETS FORT WAYNE APART FROM SO MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES.
A STRONG FISCAL FOUNDATION SAYS A LOT ABOUT OUR CITY. IT SAYS WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO OUR CITIZENS;
IT IS THE REASON WE CAN MEET RESIDENT EXPECTATIONS;
IT IS THE REASON WE CAN DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY, COST-EFFECTIVE SERVICES DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
AND IT IS THE REASON WE ARE POSITIONED TO MEET NEW CHALLENGES AND STRENGTHEN OUR ECONOMY.
FORT WAYNE IS
READY TO COMPETE,
READY TO SUCCEED,
AND READY TO SERVE OUR CITIZENS.
NATIONAL EXPERTS ARE TAKING NOTE, AS WELL.
JUST LAST NOVEMBER, THE FISCAL TIMES NAMED FORT WAYNE AS THE CITY WITH THE HIGHEST JOB GROWTH RATE IN THE NATION. OUR JOB GROWTH WASN’T JUST LEADING THE STATE; IT WAS LEADING THE NATION.
AND WE DID IT AGAIN IN DECEMBER. WHILE MONTHLY NUMBERS HAVE VARIED A BIT, WE’RE STILL IN THE TOP 10.
THE WELCOME MAT IS OUT!
WE ARE STREAMLINING OUR PERMITTING PROCESS AND CREATING A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH;
WE’RE ENERGIZING OUR DOWNTOWN;
WE’RE CONSTANTLY IMPROVING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE;
AND, WE HAVE A TALENTED WORKFORCE.
AS YOUR MAYOR, I WILL CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER, TO MAKE FORT WAYNE THE MOST ATTRACTIVE AND COMPETITIVE PLACE FOR GOOD JOBS, NEW INVESTMENT AND BUSINESS GROWTH.
OUR GOAL: A FORT WAYNE THAT IS BUILT FOR SUCCESS.
TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE, THE RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENTS HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING.
JUST LAST YEAR, OUR EFFORTS SAW 35 EXISTING COMPANIES AND FIVE NEW COMPANIES GROWING AND EXPANDING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
GENERAL MOTORS. S-D-I. VERA BRADLEY. GENERAL MILLS. GREATBATCH. DANA. FRANKLIN ELECTRIC. SWEETWATER SOUND. OUR EXPANDING ROSTER OF GREAT COMPANIES IS EXCEPTIONAL.
AND THE JOB NUMBERS ARE ALSO IMPRESSIVE:
OVER 9,000 JOBS RETAINED;
NEARLY 1,600 NEW JOBS CREATED;
AND IN 2011, A PROJECTED INVESTMENT OF ALMOST 500 MILLION DOLLARS.
OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, DURING THE WORST OF THE RECESSION, FORT WAYNE SAW NEARLY ONE BILLION DOLLARS OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT.
WHAT’S EVEN BETTER IS THE AVERAGE WAGE OF THESE JOBS WAS ABOUT 30 PERCENT HIGHER THAN IN 201O.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO A FORT WAYNE THAT IS BUILT FOR SUCCESS, AND PART OF THAT COMMITMENT IS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT IS EASIER TO USE AND IS READY TO HELP COMPANIES SUCCEED.
SOME SAID BRINGING ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT TOGETHER WOULD NEVER HAPPEN, BUT WE DID IT.
AND NOW WE ARE SERVING THE PEOPLE OF FORT WAYNE AND ALLEN COUNTY BETTER THAN EVER.
OFFICES THAT USED TO BE IN MULTIPLE BUILDINGS,
TODAY ARE SITUATED ON THE SAME FLOOR – IN ONE EASY-TO-USE LOCATION.
CITIZENS SQUARE IS A PROMISE KEPT.
IT WON’T BE LONG BEFORE WE UNVEIL NEW COMPONENTS OF OUR PERMITTING PROCESS, INCLUDING AN ONLINE PORTAL. WITH THIS NEW TOOL, DEVELOPERS AND CONTRACTORS WON’T HAVE TO COME DOWNTOWN FOR EVERY ITEM THEY NEED. THEY’LL BE ABLE TO TRANSACT BUSINESS IN THEIR OFFICES, AT THEIR WORKSITES, OR ON THE MOVE.
WE’VE PLEDGED TO DO THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR BUSINESS. STREAMLINING IS ABOUT SAVING TIME, SAVING MONEY.
AND HELPING OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY CREATE MORE JOBS.
ALONG WITH OUR PARTNER – ALLEN COUNTY – LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS NOW MORE ACCESSIBLE AND MOR