Mayor Dan Ridenour asked the Muncie City Council to introduce Ordinance 1-26, an additional-appropriations measure drawing roughly $900,000 from the EDIT fund to pay for several items the city has discussed publicly.

Ridenour listed the major line items, saying the package includes a three-year memorandum with the Muncie Arts and Culture Council that provides $10,000 annually (unrestricted for operations or programs); $500,000 set aside for a community center to serve Southeast/industry and South Side neighborhoods; $65,000 for fireworks covering Prairie Creek Reservoir and downtown; $125,000 per year to support the Hub/Muncie Mission; $100,000 per year to continue family navigators in Muncie Community Schools; and a $500,000 installment toward the YWCA capital campaign. "When you add all those up... it totals up to $900,000," Ridenour said.

At the public hearing, local commentator Rick Yentzer said he was surprised to see nearly $1 million sitting in EDIT and asked for better notice and council engagement on how those funds are spent. He praised the mayor's focus on homelessness but questioned continued direct city funding for Muncie Community Schools, saying, "They've got their own money. They don't need any more money."

Council members voted to introduce Ordinance 1-26 for formal consideration; Ridenour answered questions about how the community-center funds would be allocated and said details would follow after appropriation. The ordinance will return for formal adoption at a later meeting.

Next steps: introduction passed on a roll call and the ordinance was scheduled to return at the next regular meeting for further action and adoption vote.