FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Annexation plans for the city of Fort Wayne are dead… at least for now.
“It was a contentious issue, and it’s dead indefinitely,” says City Council President Russ Jehl, who tells WOWO news any future expansion proposals must address the needs of area taxing bodies, especially schools, if they are to have any hope of success.
“There’s nothing that taxpayers care more about than their children,” Jehl said. “For them to take the brunt of the financial fallout would just be tragic.”
“If there’s one truth in politics, it’s ‘you can’t fight soccer moms,'” he added.
The North IV annexation plan was killed Tuesday by the Council by a 7-2 vote, after three school districts, the Allen County Public Library, and Allen County government said it would cost them millions of tax dollars.
Mayor Tom Henry issued a statement after the vote, calling those who voted against the plan “unwilling to show leadership.”
Hear Jehl’s full interview here.
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