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Council approves finance ordinance to fund Fulton Park playground, buy fire engine and heavy rescue
Summary
Evansville Common Council adopted Ordinance F-2025-04 approving multiple appropriations and transfers including funds for Fulton Park playground equipment, purchase of a fire engine and heavy rescue, and a $55,000 correction for prior park remediation expenses.
Ordinance F-2025-04 of the Evansville Common Council was adopted Monday to move and reallocate funds for several city projects, including new playground equipment at Fulton Park and cash purchases of two fire apparatus.
The ordinance, introduced by the controller’s office, passed on a roll-call vote of eight ayes and zero nays. Councilwoman Mosby made the motion; Councilman Brinkmeyer seconded.
Council officials said the ordinance moves $13,680 within the Fire Department from full-time salaries to cover physicals for applicants, appropriates funds to the parks department for Fulton Park playground equipment, shifts $1,500,000 from the casino fund to the public safety fund to buy a fire engine and a heavy rescue unit, and corrects a prior appropriation by moving $55,000 for mold remediation at Swander to cash funding.
Controller Robert Gunter outlined the changes and asked council members to interrupt with questions. He said the physicals reallocation is to ensure the city pays for applicant medical examinations. Gunter identified the Fulton Park appropriation as funds carried over from the Department of Metropolitan Development for playground equipment and site work.
Parks Director (Crooks) described the Fulton Park work as starting as early as this week pending board approval, with playground equipment installation beginning May 16 and final completion of the safety turf expected in early June. Crooks said the turf will match the surface installed at Weslman Park.
Deputy Chief Jared Brown of the Fire Department said the city plans to pay cash rather than finance the fire apparatus, calling it fiscally prudent and “good stewardship of the tax dollars.” Brown said the engine being acquired is a demo/production unit expected to be complete in August; the heavy rescue has an anticipated delivery in December 2026 after a negotiated build slot that reduced an otherwise longer wait.
Council discussed the items briefly and took public comment; no members of the public raised questions. The ordinance passed 8–0.
Clarifying details disclosed at the meeting include the $13,680 transfer for firefighter physicals, a $1,500,000 transfer from the casino fund to the public safety fund to purchase an engine and a heavy rescue, and a $55,000 correction moving prior mold-remediation spending onto cash funding. The controller also described appropriations for HUD fair-housing and equal-employment carryovers but did not provide specific dollar amounts on the record.
The ordinance moves forward scheduled capital purchases and park improvements; the council did not attach additional conditions or reporting requirements during the vote.
