Politics
Allen County Infrastructure Referendum: Tax Shifts for Fort Wayne Property Owners and Road Users
The November ballot measure would redirect a portion of local sales tax revenue to street repairs and transit routes serving Fort Wayne neighborhoods.
How we reported this
A proposed referendum on the November 3 ballot in Allen County would adjust how a slice of sales tax collections is spent inside Fort Wayne city limits. The measure would move roughly one-eighth of the county's existing local option tax share into a dedicated fund for pavement resurfacing and bus route extensions. Homeowners on fixed incomes would see no immediate change to their property tax statements, while drivers on corridors such as Illinois Road and Lima Road would encounter construction crews if the measure passes.
Residents who stand to gain
Households along the planned Route 9 extension would receive new weekday service to the downtown transit center. City records show that segment currently carries 1,200 daily boardings on existing routes. Construction crews would also target 14 miles of arterial streets listed in the 2025 pavement condition report as rated poor or failed. Local advocates note that delivery drivers and shift workers who travel those segments each day would face fewer pothole-related vehicle repairs once work finishes.
Businesses clustered near the new stops could see steadier foot traffic during evening hours. The county election board filing states that funds cannot be diverted to administrative salaries or debt service, locking the allocation for capital projects only.
Residents who would pay more
Shoppers at big-box stores on the city's north side would absorb the redirected portion through unchanged tax rates but altered spending priorities. Policy analysts say the shift leaves less money available for the county's general fund, which currently supports the sheriff's patrol contract inside Fort Wayne. Fixed-income residents outside the new transit corridors would continue paying the same sales tax rate while receiving no direct service addition.
The Allen County auditor's office projects the redirected amount equals about 2 percent of the total local sales tax take recorded in fiscal year 2025. If approved, the change takes effect January 1, 2027, with the first paving contracts scheduled for spring bidding.
Voters will see the measure listed as Referendum 1 on the countywide ballot. Absentee requests open August 10 at the Allen County courthouse. The county clerk will mail sample ballots to every registered household by October 20.