Fishers holds first reading of 2026 budget; mayor outlines flat tax-rate goal and new spending priorities

Mayor Fadnis presented a summary of Fishers’ proposed 2026 budget during the City Council meeting Sept. 15, saying the administration expects to keep the municipal tax rate near current levels while advancing investments in public safety, parks and neighborhood programs.

At the hearing, Mayor Fadnis said the total 2026 budget — operating and capital combined — is $203,680,000, with operating and capital spending of roughly $162,000,000 and cash reserves across all funds near $67,000,000. He said the city’s municipal tax rate is about $0.7055 per $100 of assessed value and that Fishers remains the lowest municipal tax rate in Hamilton County.

The mayor listed budget priorities for 2026 including three additional firefighters, two additional school resource officers, continued investment in the city’s fleet and a $100,000 increase in fire training. He also proposed continued funding of the $400,000 neighborhood matching grants program, $50,000 for education innovation grants, and a $10,000 ADA matching-grant pilot program.

Elliott Holkren, deputy mayor, presented the first reading of the city’s 2026 salary ordinance—a package that would add or retitle several positions (a zoning administrator in economic and community development; an operations manager in public works), increase the clothing allowance cap to $1,350, raise longevity pay to $8,000 after 25 years, add bilingual specialty pay for fire, and grant a 3% increase to maximum biweekly salary amounts for all position titles. Holkren said the salary changes align with the proposed budget.

Holkren and Mayor Fadnis also told the council that the city’s health-insurance costs will not increase for the sixth consecutive year, an outcome Holkren credited to a direct-employer contract negotiated with Community Health.

The council opened the required public hearing on the budget. Several residents spoke. Michael Colby asked about a recent change in the state funding formula and whether Fishers had accounted for that shift; Mayor Fadnis said the administration was still analyzing last-minute adjustments to net assessed values and anticipated it could manage the change. Ross Reinhardt urged the city to study public-transit options as a longer-term strategy for accommodating growth. Amy Perry urged a larger allocation for invasive-species removal in Fishers parks, citing Ritchie Woods Nature Preserve as an example and noting removal costs rise the longer treatment is delayed.

Following the public hearing, the council gave the budget ordinance a first reading. Councilmember John provided the first reading; the mayor said the administration expects to return for final approval in October after additional analysis and any necessary adjustments.

The first-reading action does not itself adopt the budget; the council will consider the ordinance again at a future meeting for final adoption.