News release from the Geoff Paddock for City Council campaign:
Paddock announces bid for reelection to Fort Wayne City Council
(January 14, 2016) — Geoff Paddock announced today that he would seek a third term on the Fort Wayne City Council. He represents the Fifth District and was elected in 2011. He previously served a four-year term on the Board of Trustees of the Fort Wayne Community Schools. He has served as the Executive Director of the Headwaters Park Flood Control Project since January of 1993.
“It has been an honor to work with Mayor Tom Henry and my colleagues on the City Council for the past seven years. Thanks to the leadership and guidance of Mayor Henry, Fort Wayne is poised for strong economic growth in the years ahead. I want to play an active role in efforts towards economic development for downtown, and more infrastructure improvements for our neighborhoods,” Paddock said.
During his seven years on City Council, Paddock has worked on a bi-partisan level for progress in our city. He successfully sponsored legislation to strengthen the Drug House Ordinance and preserve brick streets and alleys in the central portion of the city. He worked with two Republican colleagues to tighten restrictions and promote more accountability with tax abatements (now referred to as tax phase ins.) Paddock also worked with colleagues to approve the acquisition of Aqua Indiana’s water utility in southwest Fort Wayne and fund additional improvements to water and sewer lines. He also worked across party lines to enact city budgets that increased the number of police officers and firefighters, made improvements to City Utilities, and speeded along the much-needed resurfacing of neighborhood streets and sidewalks.
Paddock was an early and ardent backer of the Electric Works Project, located in the heart of the Fifth District.
“I began leading the discussion about the future of the General Electric property in the spring of 2015, after one of the buildings was demolished,” Paddock said. “Within a year of meetings by the task force I put together, we worked with the developers to put together a plan that would not only rejuvenate an area in need of help, but also to create hundreds of jobs in the process. Electric Works is a $240 million neighborhood improvement project, and I am very grateful Mayor Henry, my colleagues on City Council, and my friends in county and state governments worked with us to get this project off the ground.”
He also enthusiastically supported financing for the Clyde Theater Project in 2017, which is helping to revitalize many neighborhoods surrounding the Quimby Village Shopping Center.
Paddock has been a strong voice for neighborhoods and is working on a plan for corridor improvements in the south and near southwest portions of the city. He will also be working with neighborhood and community leaders on projects to improve parks and other facilities in the East Central, Memorial Park, Nebraska and West Main Street neighborhoods.“I would like to continue to be a voice for neighborhoods and make sure we are addressing their infrastructure needs during the next four years. We have begun important work to reconstruct alleys, replace sidewalks, and resurface streets. That work must continue, and we will make sure that no neighborhood is left out of this process,” Paddock said.
Paddock has also worked for over a decade to advocate for the return of passenger rail service to Fort Wayne. Currently he is working with the Northern Indiana Passenger Rail Association and several cities in Indiana and Ohio on the required environmental impact study for a proposed route from Fort Wayne to Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. Paddock secured funds to cover a portion of the cost of the study in 2014.
“The success of this project could be enormous for Fort Wayne. I want to continue to work on this, as we have made progress during the past three years,” Paddock said. “A good transportation system is the key to keeping industry coming to Fort Wayne and encouraging development of neighborhoods near the Baker Street Train Station.”
Another important priority will be the wise use and prudent investment of Legacy dollars. Paddock serves on the Legacy Joint Funding Committee along with Councilmen Tom Didier and Paul Ensley. He pledged to continue to serve on the committee and strike a balance between the investment of the Indiana Michigan Power settlement dollars and in saving millions of dollars for the future.
“This is an exciting time for our city. I want to continue to work with Mayor Henry and my colleagues on City Council to build on the momentum we are experiencing. It is also important to work each year to craft a budget that meets our needs but also provides efficient services to the taxpayers of Fort Wayne. I have a good record in this area and want to continue to be a voice for fiscal responsibility in a third term on City Council,” Paddock added.
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