SB Common Council approves 2023 budget

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Smoother streets are in the future for more South Bend city residents.

That’s after the common council passed the 2023 budget on Monday, which includes fully funding the third year of Mayor James Mueller’s “Rebuilding Our Streets” plan.

The 2023 budget also doubles the dollars going into traffic calming.

The South Bend Police Department received full funding for the following year. The City and the South Bend FOP have reached a tentative agreement regarding officer safety and salaries. The agreement still needs approval by the South Bend Common Council, the Board of Public Safety, as well as the FOP.

Next year’s budget includes covering the costs of new crime analysts.

It also touches on water and sewer infrastructure.

“So a lot on the water side is just really bringing a lot of our aging infrastructure up to date. On the sewer side, part of it is that but a large percentage of it is in accordance with the city’s long-term control plan, which is an agreement, a consent agreement that the city has with the Environmental Protection Agency, regarding the way our sewers and our storm sewers operate,” said Dan Parker, city controller.

The Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) and storm sewer project costs about $250 million dollars over the next 18 years or so, according to Parker.

Parker said the investments the city will make with sewers next year help with the long-term plan.

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