Fishers considering $66.5M budget

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness is introducing the city’s 2016 budget, which he describes as maintaining and sustaining the city’s operations, at the City Council meeting tonight.

More than $6 million in the budget is dedicated to 14 different road projects. Fadness said the infrastructure improvements will be 80-percent funded by federal dollars.

The upcoming 106th Street interchange on Interstate 69 is not in the 2016 budget because the city already appropriated its $9.52 million share of the cost in 2012.

The city’s sewer and stormwater budgets are an area of concern, according to Fadness, which is why the city is considering an increase in its sewer rates. The council would have to approve the sewer rate increase separate from the budget.

Fadness is suggesting a $5 per month average increase, which he said should cover the costs of three upcoming sewer upgrade projects that are estimated to cost almost $10 million combined.

He said the stormwater rates won’t change for now, as city officials believe the revenue shortfalls could be fixed if the collection rate is increased.

Property taxes will increase in 2016, but it is equal to the rate charged in 2014.

Check back Tuesday for a breakdown of the city of Carmel's 2016 budget, which is also being introduced to the City Council on Monday.