Mayor Stephanie Terry has been office for 100 days. Here's what she says is still to come
EVANSVILLE — Mayor Stephanie Terry's administration put a lot of emphasis on her first 100 days in office.
There was a roadmap created outlining her first three months, to help show the public what she planned to do through measurable targets. Terry also participated in the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University’s Program for New Mayors: First 100 Days with 26 other newly elected mayors.
And Tuesday, Terry marked her 100th day by giving the State of the City address during a Rotary Club of Evansville luncheon.
But despite the sharp focus on those first 100 days, Terry reminded those gathered it was only the beginning.
In that time, Terry said her administration has learned a lot about challenges Evansville faces, as well as its opportunities.
"That’s the rest of the story," she said. "It’s what the next 1,360 days are about."
New water treatment plant on track for 2028
Terry acknowledged infrastructure issues the city struggles with, such as the aging water treatment plant.
Evansville Water and Sewer Utility customers using 5,000 gallons of water per month – which the utility considers average – will see that portion of their bills increase from $50 to $53 this month. That $3 increase was set in place in 2022, and customers can expect two more years of increases. By 2026, an average, 5,000-gallon monthly water bill will cost about $58.82.
"Unfortunately, some increases are necessary for maintaining our quality of life," Terry said Tuesday. "I can’t think of many things more basic and necessary to having a strong quality of life in a city than clean, healthy drinking water."
Terry said a new plan is critical to having that clean drinking water for the future, so the city will be continuing the plans to upgrade the plant, with construction expected to begin by the end of 2024 and it being operational in 2028.
With these increases to bills, Terry said the administration also will look to add more assistance programs for customers.
Interest from American Rescue Plan Act dollars accumulates
Evansville received around $65 million in American Rescue Plan Act money during the pandemic, which the former administration allocated to multiple organizations and projects.
Terry said about $32 million of that money is still in the city's coffers, allocated but not paid out, drawing interest.
"Right now, we have more than $2 million in interest from those ARPA funds," she said. "These funds are uncommitted, and because they are drawn from interest, they do not have the spending restrictions that were on the original ARPA funds."
Terry has two set uses for the interest dollars at this time:
The city will hire a grant writer, and
Terry will request the city make a $250,000 allocation to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
Affordable housing needs in Evansville
Terry said Tuesday she set a goal to help start projects to bring at least 350 units of affordable housing inside city limits by the time she gives the 2025 State of the City address.
"We will do this through public-private partnerships and utilizing a variety of residential development tools," she said. "We will also take steps to eliminate blight and will enhance our code enforcement efforts."
According to the Housing Needs Assessment from Bowen National Research, the city needs to build about 2,812 new rental units over the next five years to accommodate housing in the area.
Terry said the city is already make progress.
"Right now, we have 81 newly constructed, affordable rental units either completed or underway," she said. "We also have rehabilitated 46 others. Additionally, there are 10 new or renovated owner-occupied units. This totals to 127 newly constructed or rehabilitated affordable housing units."
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: State of the City: Here are three things to watch from Mayor Terry
