Michigan City Budget Workshop September 22, 2026

The Michigan City Budget Workshop held on September 22, 2026, focused extensively on reviewing and approving various departmental budgets, including sanitation and refuse, storm water, street department, central maintenance, and police. Key procurement-related discussions included the funding and shared salary costs for a new director of constituent services position across multiple departments, increased budget allocations for truck maintenance and landfill charges due to rising tonnage and cleanup events, and a $413,000 capital request for a new dump truck funded by the riverboat fund. The storm water budget highlighted professional services contracts for watershed management and street sweeping disposal costs. The police budget included funding for fleet rotation, IT infrastructure, body and in-car camera contracts, and vehicle purchases, with some funds being consolidated to avoid duplication. Motions to approve the sanitation refuse fund, storm water fund, motor vehicle highway fund, local road and street fund, and police department budgets were passed, while some police-related funds were tabled for further review and adjustment. The meeting also addressed ongoing concerns about rising benefit costs and the need for proactive community engagement regarding sanitation services.