DEMOCRAT
SOUTH BEND
Steve Luecke: Financially Sound, Fiscally Responsible
Through good budgeting practices and strong financial management, Mayor Luecke has been a good steward of South Bend’s finances, having maintained responsible budgets throughout his tenure. Unlike other cities around the state and country faced with the challenge of declining revenues and skyrocketing costs, under Mayor Luecke South Bend has lived within its means while not reducing services to residents or depleting reserve funds.
Each city department has worked hard to develop the most cost effective and efficient delivery of services possible, finding ways to do things faster, better, with fewer tax dollars and 80 fewer employees.
Under Mayor Luecke’s Leadership:
- South Bend has established fiscally responsible reserves in its General Fund. This “Rainy Day” fund serves as a cushion when extraordinary events – a blizzard or severe storm damage – incur expenses beyond what is budgeted.
- South Bend has maintained an A2 bond rating, among the best in the state, which affords the city lower borrowing interest rates and helped us save millions in interest costs.
South Bend has enacted cost-cutting measures to deliver city services more efficiently and effectively, including:
- Operating its own insurance program to save taxpayers $885,000 annually.
- Changing the city’s phone system to save $66,500 a year
- Using LED traffic signals to save a projected $1.9 million in avoided electric costs.
- Implementing electronic sensors that signal and prevent overflows from combined storm and sanitary sewers will save tens of millions of tax dollars.
Mayor Luecke has been a statewide leader in advocating for a tax system that provides property tax relief while giving local government greater flexibility to raise revenue through alternative sources of funding
- 75% of South Bend property taxes support our police and fire departments.
- In his recently proposed 2008 budget, Mayor Luecke proposed keeping the tax rate constant and keeping services level through continued efficiencies provided by technology.
Professionalism:
Mayor Luecke’s fiscal responsibility has been recognized nationally among South Bend’s peers. His administration’s financial record is a model of consistency as recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada:
- Distinguished budget presentations awards for each year of his administration – 1997 through the 2006 budget year (most current recognized). The award recognizes how effectively the budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device.
- 16 consecutive Certificate of Achievements for Excellence in Financial Reporting for fiscal years 1990 through 2005.