JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore submitted his 2020 budget proposal to city council members, which he said would cover all the city’s expenses without raising any taxes.
Moore, who is running for another term, said a $6 million surplus will be included in the $54 million budget.
In nearly eight years, Moore said the city has added nearly 9,000 new jobs, and more than 5,000 new residents have moved to town. He said this budget proposal reflects the growth and will enable that growth to continue.
“2020 will be a year to enjoy what we’ve built,” Moore said. “And we did it without raising taxes. Nobody else can say that.”
Moore said public safety is one of the top priorities of the proposed budget. In the last seven years, the city added new police officer positions each year. The current budget proposal would add two more officers, bringing the force up to 93 police officers.
“We’ve been able to do this every year since 2012 without ever raising taxes,” he said.
Moore said safety is a critical part of Jeffersonville’s success. He said when safety is a priority, more people want to move and live there, and that will continue to attract more businesses.
Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore
It is up to the city council to approve a budget.
The mayor’s office outlined other budget priorities in a Facebook post:
2020 BUDGET PROPOSAL: Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore submitted to the City Council a budget proposal for 2020 that would hire two new police officers and increase funding to address drainage issues in the Oak Park neighborhood.
“This budget is balanced and its revenue neutral,” said Moore. The total proposed budget is $54 million with another $6 million in surplus and cash reserves. “And we did it again without cutting any city services or raising taxes.”
Moore said his top budget priority is to continue his five-year commitment to put more police on the street by hiring two new officers with existing tax revenues. Over the past seven years, Jeffersonville has added 17 new police officers.
In 2014, Moore unveiled his plan to add police officers so Jeffersonville met state and FBI standards, which recommends 94 officers for a city with a population of nearly 50,000.
“As our city continues to grow and prosper, there are increased demands on law enforcement. The budget helps us fulfill our promise to keep neighborhoods safe,” said Moore who noted that this budget will include a total of 93 officers.
Additionally, the budget proposal is seeking $35,000 to help solve drainage issues in the Oak Park neighborhood. Moore said he’s also working with Councilman Joe Paris to obtain additional funds from the City Council for Oak Park drainage projects.
The budget proposal also includes $1.3 million for road improvements. “We’ve invested more in maintaining our roads and streets than any prior administration. This budget demonstrates the importance of taking care of our infrastructure,” said Moore.
More money is requested for the new Spring Hill EnVision Center as well. The former Boys and Girls Club in the Claysburg Neighborhood was recently renovated to offer various parks, educational and other community programming.
“The EnVision Center is an amazing addition to our community that offers so much to so many,” said Moore who is asking for two new staffers at the facility. “We want to make sure it’s open and accessible to those who need it the most.”
Another notable addition is funding for two additional members of the city’s Greenspace Maintenance Crew to focus primarily on the new 115-acre Chapel Lake Park off New Chapel Road.
“Chapel Lake Park will be the jewel of our already fantastic park system. We’re building the city’s first park east of I-265 to serve thousands of residents,” said Moore.
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