BREAKING: Aug. 26, 2025 Muncie Budget Press Conference

Steve Lindell reporting

The city of Muncie budget will take a hit, due to Indiana’s SB1 legislation.  Mayor Dan Ridenour held a press conference on the steps of City Hall, with Department Heads standing behind him – seeming to show solidarity with the decisions that were announced.  The “total reductions to be addressed” as indicated on a handout prepared for the Media is $1.436,096.02.  Some of the key announcements as part of his proposal – none of which will impact police, fire, ems, or the street department:

A hiring freeze begins 1/1/26.

The administration will “look into transferring some positions from full time, to part time, to save expenses for benefits.

EDIT will be cutting $800,000 per year from economic development activities, and $100,000 from other areas, to move $900,000 yearly into budget activities.

Reporters note:  it is not known how City Council will agree, or not, with some or all of the proposed changes – especially the EDIT funds.   City Council begin public hearings on the budget over the next two weeks.

I spoke to Ridenour after the press conference.  Hear that here:

Here is the full press conference:

Here is the Q&A that followed (the microphone being used for the public address system failed, so questions from the audience are difficult to hear: