Fall is upon us, as we welcome cooler temperatures and the natural beauty of the changing of season. School is back in session as teachers and students begin a new year of study. The Apple Festival, along with sports and band competitions bring the community together to celebrate and engage with one another. Whether you like a walk on a crisp day, wrapping up with a warm blanket, a good book, and a cup of coffee, tailgating with friends and family, picking apples, or exploring shops in and around Nappanee, there is something for everyone this time of year.
We welcome you to join us on October 12th, from 3-6 PM, for the public open house for the new fire station. We are excited to share the new facility with you as we transition into a new era of emergency services. We also look forward to Promenade on the Path on Saturday, September 27th, from 6-9 PM, at the Art Path, Trick-or-Treating on Thursday, October 30th, from 5-7 PM, and Miracles on Main and Market Parade and Celebration on Saturday, December 6th. New this year will be our Nutcracker display downtown. Over 40 nutcrackers, painted by local artists, will be located in and around the downtown to create a festive and attractive area for locals and visitors to explore.
Fall is also a time when we prepare for the winter months and take care of those last-minute outdoor home improvement projects and to-do lists. While we live in a great community where most people take good care of their properties, in recent years, we have seen an increase in the amount of code violations for illegally parked or unlicensed vehicles and RVs, unkept landscapes, deferred home maintenance, and excessive junk. As a result, we will be increasing our code enforcement efforts to encourage violators to improve their properties by sending out letters, identifying the violations, and working with them on a game-plan for improvement.
We are navigating our way through the new Senate Enrolled Act 1, which is a new state law affecting current and future property and income tax. While state legislators claim it as a win for taxpayers, it comes with unintended consequences for municipalities. Based on numbers provided by the Legislative Services Agency, Nappanee will lose approximately $200,000 per year in property taxes and approximately $3.2 million in income taxes in 2028.
We understand that we are stewards of your tax dollars and we hope that we have demonstrated sound financial management of the city’s budget. We continue to grow the community with new businesses, new residences, improved amenities, and quality infrastructure. The tax cuts to our city’s budget will get progressively worse over the next few years. With an already tight budget, it will become harder to navigate budgets and services with the new changes. As I mentioned in my State of the City in January, we will be forced to look at cuts to some of the services we provide. Some of the changes discussed have been freezing hiring of new full-time firefighters/EMTs, gradually shifting the burden of trash and recycling to residents, implementing a local wheel tax, and reducing hours or closing some of our facilities. We are working our way through the 2026 budget and plan to make the necessary steps to work within the new law. We hope that the legislature will make some changes that will lessen the impact on municipalities.
Despite the challenges, we will continue to provide our residents and businesses with the best services and infrastructure possible. I know one thing for certain, Nappanee is resilient. We have been through difficult times before, and I am confident we can weather this challenge too. Just like the seasons, we will keep marching on, doing the best we can and enjoying the journey together.
