Muncie mayor again pushes for housing investments in annual ‘state of the city’ speech
Governor Mike Braun’s cuts to property taxes have had a massive impact on predicting local government budgets across the state in the years to come. Muncie’s mayor says the city’s strategy is to rely less on property taxes and more on income tax. And as IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports, the mayor says that requires more residents in Muncie.
Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour says Muncie will be taking in roughly $1.4 million less in property taxes this year fiscal year. It’s driven his focus on income tax for the future.
“We’re trying to have as many people move to Muncie as possible to help solve the income issues that we have as a city without raising taxes,” Ridenour said.
The most recent census data shows the Muncie area – which includes Delaware County – gained about 1,000 people in 2024.
To increase population growth, Ridenour is again talking about investing in housing. It’s a theme he’s brought up year after year in his annual State of the City speeches and paying close attention to the housing market.
Ridenour says in 2026, more than 600 housing units will be added to the Muncie area. That includes a four-story apartment building across from city hall, 34 in-fill homes in the Old West End neighborhood, and a market-rate subdivision called Steeplechase with housing prices starting at $450,000.
Read More: Affordable housing further out of reach for Hoosiers, according to new report
In the latest national Kids Count data, Delaware County’s median household income sits at just below $65,000. That’s an increase of less than $9,000 in the last decade and is about $25,000 below the state average.
During his speech, Ridenour was joined by Delaware County Commissioner Stephen Brand. They listed several other developments that were made in the last year. These include:
- Further work on Tillotson Avenue after a long Indiana Michigan Power project
- Additions to Westside Park and a park at Storer Estates
- The construction of the new YMCA of Muncie
Ridenour did not make mention of future plans for the Prairie Creek Reservoir North Shore campsites, after announcing last November it would be closed and emptied. With a move-out date at the end of this month, Ridenour says that the city is still reviewing options for what it wants to do with the acreage.
“We’re still working with interested parties on figuring out what’s the best method to go,” he said. “We know what we’re attempting to do, and we’re just getting input to make sure that that’s the direction we want to go.”
Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer. Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu
