Departing Mayor Wiggins Looks to Future of Warsaw
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
He feels he is leaving the city in a good financial position for the next administration, he said during an Oct. 27 interview with the Times-Union.
“We have some good cash balances that have been carried over and we have been frugal,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins said he worked last week with the clerk-treasurer to do line two cuts out of the 2011 budget. These are reductions from the 2011 budget that the city knows it will not spend.
“This results in keeping next year’s tax rate lower because the money will not be spent,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins said this year, raises were not given to city employees, but last year city employees received 2 percent raises.
Wiggins was asked what the city is doing to bring new businesses to town, and providing incentives for existing businesses.
“The unfortunate thing is we don’t have a lot of tools other than tax abatements and tax phase-ins,” Wiggins said.
He said the city has been generous with granting tax phase-ins to local businesses and industries.
The redevelopment commission and city council has approved issuing bonds for the expansion of Winona PVD.
The city also is working with Thompson-Thrift for development on Ind. 15N and commercial activity such as Aspen Dental and Taco Bell that are being built.
Wiggins said he expects there to be even more commercial development to the north, and said there are currently apartments being built behind Kohl’s.
With the new Madison Elementary School to the north, he said he would not be surprised to see more residences being built around the elementary school.
Wiggins was asked what are some issues the new mayor should focus on in these difficult economic times.
Wiggins said with property tax caps and reductions in the county option income tax money, the city needs to be more in tune to helping the assessed valuation grow.
“If we don’t see any growth in the city there will be stagnation because the revenues will not be there to support the public services we need such as police and fire protection and quality-of-life issues,” Wiggins said.
The majority of the city’s budget is in personal services and benefits, Wiggins said.
He said he is excited that Kosciusko County and Warsaw partnered with Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. to do active economic development.
He said he is happy OrthoWorx is incorporating more community involvement, and said he is supportive of the city approving Warsaw to become a member of OrthoWorx.
“I think that membership can be a positive for our community and promote orthopedics that is such a big part of our community,” Wiggins said.
“We have a diverse community and have weathered the downturn and recession a lot better than other communities, but not to say we want to sit on our hands.”
Wiggins addressed the topic of the city purchasing the former National City Bank building for a city hall.
The building on South Buffalo Street still needs to be renovated and the mayor’s, clerk-treasurer’s, city council chambers, building and planning, human resources and wastewater collection offices will be housed there.
The city put in this year’s budget to hire a city engineer and, assuming that comes to fruition in 2012, the city engineer would be housed with the building and planning department in the new city hall, Wiggins said.
Wiggins said the architect plans are almost complete, and within the next two weeks the city plans to advertise for the bids for renovating the building for a new city hall.
Wiggins said he would like to see a local contractor selected for the renovation work, and he said there is a lot of remodeling work to be done this winter.
Wiggins said the renovations to the new city hall building will not be completed until September or October 2012.
Wiggins said when a Hyett Palma study was conducted for the city, it recommended the city hall needed to continue to be located in the downtown.
Wiggins said the proximity of the new city hall being located by the justice building and courthouse will be an asset.
“I encourage the next mayor to keep the relationship between county and city government because I think that is very important,” Wiggins said.
“That spirit of cooperation needs to be fostered because this is our community and we need to be in it all together and that includes the city, county and Winona Lake.”
Wiggins discussed the Greenway and said ideas should continue on connecting it through the city.
He said there will need to be planning to connect Winona Lake’s and Warsaw’s trails, and said most likely grant funding will need to be applied for.
“I would certainly like to see the ideas for connecting the Greenway move forward,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins said he feels First Fridays have been successful in bringing people to downtown Warsaw.
“I hope it is beneficial to the downtown business owners, and it has been exciting to see people come to the downtown on Friday nights and gives community pride and spirit,” Wiggins said.[[In-content Ad]]
He feels he is leaving the city in a good financial position for the next administration, he said during an Oct. 27 interview with the Times-Union.
“We have some good cash balances that have been carried over and we have been frugal,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins said he worked last week with the clerk-treasurer to do line two cuts out of the 2011 budget. These are reductions from the 2011 budget that the city knows it will not spend.
“This results in keeping next year’s tax rate lower because the money will not be spent,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins said this year, raises were not given to city employees, but last year city employees received 2 percent raises.
Wiggins was asked what the city is doing to bring new businesses to town, and providing incentives for existing businesses.
“The unfortunate thing is we don’t have a lot of tools other than tax abatements and tax phase-ins,” Wiggins said.
He said the city has been generous with granting tax phase-ins to local businesses and industries.
The redevelopment commission and city council has approved issuing bonds for the expansion of Winona PVD.
The city also is working with Thompson-Thrift for development on Ind. 15N and commercial activity such as Aspen Dental and Taco Bell that are being built.
Wiggins said he expects there to be even more commercial development to the north, and said there are currently apartments being built behind Kohl’s.
With the new Madison Elementary School to the north, he said he would not be surprised to see more residences being built around the elementary school.
Wiggins was asked what are some issues the new mayor should focus on in these difficult economic times.
Wiggins said with property tax caps and reductions in the county option income tax money, the city needs to be more in tune to helping the assessed valuation grow.
“If we don’t see any growth in the city there will be stagnation because the revenues will not be there to support the public services we need such as police and fire protection and quality-of-life issues,” Wiggins said.
The majority of the city’s budget is in personal services and benefits, Wiggins said.
He said he is excited that Kosciusko County and Warsaw partnered with Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. to do active economic development.
He said he is happy OrthoWorx is incorporating more community involvement, and said he is supportive of the city approving Warsaw to become a member of OrthoWorx.
“I think that membership can be a positive for our community and promote orthopedics that is such a big part of our community,” Wiggins said.
“We have a diverse community and have weathered the downturn and recession a lot better than other communities, but not to say we want to sit on our hands.”
Wiggins addressed the topic of the city purchasing the former National City Bank building for a city hall.
The building on South Buffalo Street still needs to be renovated and the mayor’s, clerk-treasurer’s, city council chambers, building and planning, human resources and wastewater collection offices will be housed there.
The city put in this year’s budget to hire a city engineer and, assuming that comes to fruition in 2012, the city engineer would be housed with the building and planning department in the new city hall, Wiggins said.
Wiggins said the architect plans are almost complete, and within the next two weeks the city plans to advertise for the bids for renovating the building for a new city hall.
Wiggins said he would like to see a local contractor selected for the renovation work, and he said there is a lot of remodeling work to be done this winter.
Wiggins said the renovations to the new city hall building will not be completed until September or October 2012.
Wiggins said when a Hyett Palma study was conducted for the city, it recommended the city hall needed to continue to be located in the downtown.
Wiggins said the proximity of the new city hall being located by the justice building and courthouse will be an asset.
“I encourage the next mayor to keep the relationship between county and city government because I think that is very important,” Wiggins said.
“That spirit of cooperation needs to be fostered because this is our community and we need to be in it all together and that includes the city, county and Winona Lake.”
Wiggins discussed the Greenway and said ideas should continue on connecting it through the city.
He said there will need to be planning to connect Winona Lake’s and Warsaw’s trails, and said most likely grant funding will need to be applied for.
“I would certainly like to see the ideas for connecting the Greenway move forward,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins said he feels First Fridays have been successful in bringing people to downtown Warsaw.
“I hope it is beneficial to the downtown business owners, and it has been exciting to see people come to the downtown on Friday nights and gives community pride and spirit,” Wiggins said.[[In-content Ad]]
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