C.P. hopeful for a solid year of growthOfficials: Being fiscally sound bodes well for city
By Kathleen Quilligan -
kathleen.quilligan@nwi.com, (219) 662-5331 | Posted: Sunday, January 3, 2010 12:00 am
CROWN POINT | Mayor David Uran said he's pleased to see how the city fared in 2009.
"2009 is setting us up for a very good 2010. It set up the landscape," Uran said.
The city's 175th anniversary year was filled with time capsule openings, parades, premieres and construction. But what City Councilwoman Laura Sauerman thought was the city's biggest accomplishment was how it handled its money.
"Being
financially sound (was important)," Sauerman said. "There's a lot of good foundation laid to being
conservative fiscally."
Although the 2009 budget allowed for raises, the 2010 budget doesn't. However,
no city employees were laid off.
Like Sauerman, City Councilwoman Carol Drasga thinks the city's financial security is cause for thanks.
"If you look at how some other communities are doing, by no fault of their own, Crown Point is doing well," she said, adding she hopes the city continues to be fiscally responsible and sound in 2010.
Uran said
even though the city had to tighten its belt, it was able to reduce the 2009 budget by $1.3 million without laying off anyone, showing how frugal his department heads are.
"That's a good team effort on everybody's part," he said.
He said the city felt the effects of the global economy when Carroll Chevrolet closed its doors in October after almost 90 years in the city. Uran said even if customers had lined up along North Main Street, that would not have affected the dealership's ability to stay open because it was a victim of its parent company's struggles.
Along with events honoring the city's 175th anniversary, Crown Point celebrated its time in the limelight with the summer premiere of "Public Enemies," a film directed by Michael Mann that was shot partially in the city in 2008. It stars Johnny Depp as the notorious bank robber John Dillinger.
Among other key moments was the groundbreaking of the 109th Avenue interchange project at Interstate 65 in early August.
"It's a big part of the future of Crown Point," Uran said.
He also pointed to the
Bo Jackson Legacy Athletic Center, a future sportsplex slated to be built just west of Broadway. It will provide a venue for year-round practice of youth sports.
"It's another foundation for the future development of Crown Point," he said.
The new year will bring construction along Broadway that will help the congested corridor, the groundbreaking for the Bo Jackson Legacy Athletic Center and the completion of the 109th Avenue interchange.
Sauerman said she hopes this year will bring strong growth to the city.
"I'm looking forward to continued growth that fits who we are," she said. "The things that are Crown Point. I'm not sure what those things are right now, but we'll know them as they come in."