Gary council approves commercial wastewater and stormwater fee increases and budget adjustments
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Summary
The Gary Common Council voted unanimously to approve a commercial wastewater-fee ordinance and a stormwater fee increase to support stormwater and sanitary district compliance and capital projects; the council also approved budget amendments that add a year‑round youth services program and adjusted council salaries.
The Gary Common Council voted unanimously on Feb. 17 to approve commercial wastewater treatment fees and a separate increase in stormwater fees intended to finance mandated infrastructure work and capital projects.
Council members approved CPO 2025-52 (wastewater treatment fees for nonresidential users) and CPO 2025-55 (a stormwater fee increase) on third and final reading by roll-call votes of 8–0. City officials said the revenue will support required work under a consent decree and expansion of Gary Sanitary District (GSD) operations; an administration presenter characterized the total need for upgrades and compliance at about $150,000,000.
The administration and staff framed the stormwater charge as a utility fee rather than a property tax. Brenda Scott Henry, director of the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs, told the council the stormwater management charge was implemented in 2011 and is collected on property tax bills as a utility-style line item. "It is a fee, a utility fee; it is not a tax," she said, adding that the money is used for program compliance, drainage and flood projects and capital improvements.
Scott Henry outlined near-term projects that would be funded in part by the increase, including an estimated $2,000,000 drainage improvement in the Black Oak area and a prioritized list of projects the administration said exceed $27,000,000. City staff said the fee change will primarily affect commercial properties and that residential bills would not be directly raised by these ordinances as framed by the administration.
The council also adopted a set of budget amendments and personnel adjustments. CPO 2026-04 replaced a summer-only "Summer Passport" program with a year-round Youth Services program, adding a youth services coordinator position and keeping the overall budget bottom line unchanged while reallocating roughly $11,600 from salaries into operations. The council passed CPO 2026-05 to adjust the council department budget, shifting $3,000 from an intern salary to raise a legislative assistant salary to $40,000 (intern salary reduced to $19,000).
Other business: the council deferred an ordinance authorizing up to $13 million in bond issuance to March 3 after a noticing defect (CPO 2026-06), referred a sewer-rate lien proposal concerning rental property (CPO 2026-02) back to the Planning and Development Committee with hearings scheduled Feb. 24 and March 3, and scheduled finance committee hearings on three first-reading finance items (CPO 2026-07, -08, -09).
Votes at a glance - CPO 2025-52 (wastewater treatment fees for nonresidential users): passed 8–0. - CPO 2025-55 (stormwater fee increase): passed 8–0. - CPO 2026-04 (budget adjustments; add Youth Services): passed 8–0 (substitution to replace Summer Passport passed 8–0). - CPO 2026-05 (council salary budget revision): passed 8–0. - CPO 2026-06 (bond issuance up to $13,000,000): deferred to 03/03/2026. - CPO 2026-02 (sewer lien provisions for rental property): referred back to committee (hearing Feb. 24; public meeting March 3).
The council president said the items will be implemented according to statutory processes and directed staff to provide follow-up materials to inform commercial customers and the public. The council adjourned after approving a schedule change that moved the March regular meeting from March 17 to March 24.
Sources: Meeting statements and roll-call votes at the Gary Common Council meeting, Feb. 17, 2026.
