A Budget that Works for You

The proposed 2026 City Budget keeps Evansville moving forward, protecting the basics that matter most to residents: public safety, good roads, strong neighborhoods, and reliable city services.

It does all of that without raising your income tax or cutting essential services.

At a Glance

Key Investments

1. An Efficient EMS System That Pays For Itself

In 2026, the City of Evansville will launch its own ambulance service, ensuring faster response times and more local control.

• 2026 collections projected: ≈ $4.16 million
• By 2028: projected to generate ≈ $3.5 million annual surplus to reinvest in public safety and streets.

2. Safe, Reliable Water for Decades to Come

A plan to blend groundwater into the city’s water supply replaces the need for a costly new plant, saving up to $100 million now and another $100 million long-term in avoided PFAS treatment.

• Protects water quality
• Lowers long-term costs
• Keeps future rate hikes lower - and farther into the future

3. Neighborhood Revitalization You Can See

• Fight Blight demolitions continue
• $1 million Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and another $500,000 to the Land Bank, keeps older homes livable and adds new affordable units
• Park maintenance like lighting, benches, and equipment, in addition to use of the $24 million Parks Bond already at work
• METS Micro funding preserved so students and workers can still ride on demand

4. Roads, Streets, and Sidewalks:

This year, the city will put $12,628,022 toward roads, streets, and sidewalks. While Evansville still faces a major road funding gap, this budget directs every available dollar to keep paving, patching, and striping moving forward.

We’re maximizing state and federal grants and piloting new cost-saving approaches, ensuring our ability to keep visible progress across every ward.

5. Protecting the Core: Police, Fire

• Public Safety contracts continue, with fair raises that retain talent
• Fire & EMS coordination strengthened through shared training and dispatch

Fiscal Responsibility

• Senate Bill 1, passed earlier this year by the Indiana General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Mike Braun, aimed to reduce property taxes and restructure local income tax; it also had a significant financial impact on cities like Evansville
• Due to SB 1 our 2026 revenues will be reduced by $4.1 million, then by $6.3 million in 2027. It grows exponentially from there.
• This year, we covered that gap through reserves and efficiencies, not service cuts
• We also did not implement an income tax increase - the legislature’s proposed fix
• Strong credit ratings maintained
• Focused on basics, innovation, and affordability

What It Means for You

• Faster 911 medical response
• Safer, better-lit parks
• Fewer blighted homes and more home repairs and affordable housing options
• Progress on roads you drive every day
• Long-term plans to maintain safe, clean water you can trust at a sustainable cost
• A city government doing more with your dollars

Learn More

Proposed 2026 City Budget

Mayor’s 2026 Budget Speech

Follow the Mayor’s Office: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Previous Budgets

Click the link below to see the 2025 City of Evansville Budget

• City of Evansville IN 2025 Budget - Adopted

Click the links below to see the 2024 City of Evansville Budget

• 2024 City of Evansville Revenue Budget - ADOPTED
• 2024 City of Evansville Expenditure Budget - ADOPTED