Henry Davis Jr. calling for pause on 2024 city budget until west side is considered

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - South Bend 2nd District Council Member Henry Davis Jr. wants the South Bend Common Council to wait to pass its 2024 city budget until members make room for the LaSalle Park neighborhood and far west side communities.

Davis will hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. to emphasize the need for discussion with members of the neighborhoods to find ways to support those communities in the annual budget.

Davis says the city has long ignored the west side, as shown in its delay in seating a community police review board and tabling a bill Davis tried to pass earlier this year that would establish a Truth and Reconcilian Committee to look into reparations. Davis also says affordable housing on the west side is deteriorating, without updates on how code enforcement will handle the problems.

Monday night, the South Bend Common Council passed a resolution to form a Reparatory Justice Commission, which would establish a 14-person committee to study the needs of South Bend’s Black community and give the council recommendations on what they find.

The City of South Bend sent ABC57 News the following statement in regard to Davis's concerns:

“We are excited to be making progress in neighborhoods across the city. We are currently making $2.1 million in improvements to LaSalle Park. Although the City does not include budget line items for specific neighborhoods, the 2024 budget includes significant investments to strengthen all of our neighborhoods, including LaSalle Park.”