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Council adopts ordinance shifting funds for fire, housing trust, downtown restroom and other city needs
Summary
Ordinance F-2025-06, adopted 9-0, reallocated existing funds across city accounts to cover fire department repairs and hazmat cleanup, correct a prior housing trust shortfall, create a federal forfeiture fund, and allocate casino fund money for public restroom and other improvements.
The Evansville Common Council unanimously adopted Ordinance F-2025-06 on April 28, approving transfers, additional appropriations and reappropriations across multiple city funds.
City Controller Robert Gunter summarized the adjustments, saying the ordinance does not increase the overall 2025 budget but reallocates existing dollars. Highlights included a $3,900 transfer from the Fire Department to Central Dispatch to purchase an ABL system and an $82,000 transfer from the General Fund to the Housing Trust Fund to correct a prior shortfall stemming from a prior ordinance that underfunded the trust.
Gunter also asked the council to appropriate $58,044 in revenue the Fire Department received from hazmat-billings; Deputy Chief Jared Brown described using those receipts to cover equipment repairs and technology upgrades as a way to avoid asking for new tax revenue. Brown said the department has spent about 80% of its garage and motors budget and has shifted vehicle-mounted laptops to iPads, which he said reduced per-unit equipment cost from about $7,000 to roughly $1,000. "That system ... allows us to provide better service to the citizens," Brown said.
Controller staff reported a reconciliation with the federal government showed a historical shortfall in federal forfeiture accounting; staff proposed transferring those amounts into a new federal forfeiture fund and moving funds from the grant fund into it for clearer tracking. The controller also described a case in which a mailed check was stolen and cashed; the bank reimbursed the city and staff recommended payment to the original vendor and noted work to move vendors to ACH payments where feasible.
The ordinance also places $275,000 from the previously set-aside casino fund toward "improvements other than buildings," including an appropriation identified for a Portland Loo public restroom downtown. Deputy Mayor Lindsay Snyder described partnerships with Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District to site and maintain a Portland Loo, estimated maintenance at $15,000–$16,000 annually, and said the fixture could be installed within three to four months. Adam Trinkle of Downtown EID told council the district handled more than 340 biohazard cleanups last year and urged approval, saying a Portland Loo is a proven solution used in other cities.
Controller Gunter also asked the council to appropriate $2,500 to cover paying agent fees and an arbitrage calculation for a bond. All items in the ordinance were approved by roll call; the clerk recorded nine ayes and zero nays. Council members voting aye were: Councilwoman Mosby; Councilman Hieronymus; Councilwoman Carruthers; Councilwoman Kayler Lindsey; Councilman Britney; Councilwoman Allen; Councilman Green; Councilman Johnson; and Councilman Trockman.
Council discussion included assurances the restroom would be maintained by Downtown EID staff and a council request to consider multiple sites for future installations.
