Mayor Melton frames 'momentum' for Gary, announces housing, jobs and infrastructure steps

Mayor Eddie Melton used his third State of the City address to cast a four‑pillar vision—stabilization, growth, quality of life and planning—and to outline a sequence of fiscal and programmatic steps the city says will sustain recent investment and attract new development.

Melton highlighted fiscal moves the administration says will free up capital for infrastructure and safety: the administration reported a $14,780,000 revenue bond scheduled to be paid off by May and a 19.29% increase in property tax revenue that the mayor said is helping to reinvest in police, fire and infrastructure. "These are the four pillars," Melton said, listing "stabilization, growth, quality of life, and planning for the future" as the administration’s organizing framework.

The mayor emphasized public‑safety and labor developments, including a newly negotiated contract for the fire department—the first in more than two decades—that the administration said secures changes such as a $73,883.12 pension base, longevity pay and a restored clothing allowance. The city also described equipment investments for emergency response, including new EMS monitors and a Polaris Ranger adapted for beach operations.

On workforce and youth opportunity, the mayor introduced a summer jobs program for high‑school students. Marcus Steele, family and youth services coordinator, said the city will offer 75 summer jobs—about 12 slots per high school—with positions paying $15 an hour for 20 hours a week over an eight‑week period; Steele said staff will begin school outreach and set an application deadline of May 19, with work beginning June 15.

Melton framed economic development as complementary to the city’s neighborhood work. He cited incoming and expanding employers—FedEx, US Steel and Indiana Sugars among those mentioned—and said city programs aim to help Gary residents qualify for those jobs through training and placement efforts.

Why it matters: the administration presented a combined strategy of addressing neighborhood blight, investing in public safety and training residents for expected private‑sector hiring. The mayor acknowledged the scale of the challenge—he said the city estimates nearly 7,000 blighted structures and that addressing them all would cost an estimated $80,000,000—while noting the city has raised about $24,000,000 toward that goal and will seek state and federal support.

Next steps: the mayor outlined operational steps—RFPs, grant applications and development partnerships—and invited private developers and regional partners to participate in downtown site‑readiness efforts and workforce pipelines. He also asked residents to use 311 for constituent requests rather than informal messages so the city can track and resolve reported issues.