FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) The City of Fort Wayne announced Monday plans to annex some 23 square miles to the north, a move that will balloon the population by about 22,000 residents.

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry announced the annexation plans during a press conference Monday.

The North IV annexation area is bounded by Gump and Hursh roads to the north, city limits to the south, Schwartz Road to the east and Dunton Road to the west. Portions of St. Joseph, Perry, Cedar Creek, and Milan townships are part of the annexation area, Henry said.

“This growth plan is an opportunity to enhance Fort Wayne’s position as a leader in providing excellent services to residents and businesses,” said Henry. “We must be proactive and innovative to move our community forward in the right direction as a growing and prospering City where individuals, families and businesses want to be. By working together, we can build on the momentum and investment we’re experiencing.”

Henry said the annexation is part of a progression of annexations northward, intent on capturing urban growth as urban area expands. State law recognizes that municipalities need a way to capture urban growth that surrounds their boundary lines. For decades, leaders have worked to ensure the City limits reflect the population of the urban area.

The ability to annex recognizes that many residents benefit from a city’s streets, police and fire protection, parks, and water and sewer utilities. Annexation also creates greater tax equity because more of the residents who benefit from living near a large city help share the costs of maintaining that city and its services.

The annexation will be the latest since 2006, when the city pulled in nearly 13 square miles on the southwest side to add 22,587 residents. The city added 10.57 square miles and 10,689 residents with a north-side annexation in 2001 and 2002, and 7.68 square miles and 23,832 residents in a northeast-side annexation from 1990-2004.

City Council will consider a fiscal plan of the annexation in late April and early May. The annexation ordinance will then be introduced in May. A public hearing will be held in July the City Council will vote on the annexation ordinance in August.

If approved, the annexation would go into effect Jan. 1, 2017. City services to the area would begin at that time.

The city will offer public safety services including police and fire protection and animal care and control. Henry said it will also build a new fire station in an area north of Dupont Road and east of Interstate 69. Until the new station is in service, the area would be covered by City firefighters at existing City fire stations near the proposed annexation area. The area will be policed by 12 officers from the Fort Wayne Police Department’s northwest quadrant, which will add six officers with the completion of the next recruit class scheduled to begin in January 2017.

Public Works will offer snow plowing, leaf pickup, pothole repairs, infrastructure maintenance and investment projects, garbage and recycling collection, and street light maintenance to the area, Henry said.

The majority of properties in the proposed annexation area are already connected to city water and/or sewer services. When property owners signed the contract to connect to the city’s sewer service, they also waived their right to fight any future annexation plans. To see if your property is affected by this contract, click here.MORE INFORMATION FROM THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE

Unlike prior annexations, property tax caps are in place for all properties in the State of Indiana. Tax caps limit the amount of property taxes to one, two or three percent of the gross assessed value of a property for homestead residential, non-homestead residential and non-residential property respectively. As a result, any possible increases in the tax rate will vary from property to property. It’s projected that one out of three homeowners won’t see any impact because they are already at the maximum property tax cap of one percent. Property owners that haven’t reached the tax cap may experience an increase in their property tax bill after the City rate is applied.

Due to tax caps, other taxing units in Allen County would be affected by the annexation. The property tax impact for the City, other taxing units and property owners would go into effect beginning in 2018.

Highlights of the projected property tax impact:

*City of Fort Wayne – revenues of $10.1 million

*Allen County government – loss of $1.5 million

*Allen County Public Library – loss of $574,800

*East Allen County Schools – loss of $325,000

*Fort Wayne Community Schools – loss of $280,000

*Northwest Allen County Schools – loss of $2.45 million

A series of information sessions have been scheduled to share information with residents and businesses in the proposed annexation area. These meetings will follow an open house format with no formal presentation. Residents and property owners are invited to drop-in during the meeting timeframe and ask questions directly of staff representing City departments. Open house schedule:

*Monday, Apr. 18 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Omni Room on the garden level of Citizens Square, 200 E. Berry St. *Tuesday, Apr. 19 from 7-9 a.m. at Life Bridge Church, 12719 Corbin Rd.*Tuesday, Apr. 19 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Life Bridge Church, 12719 Corbin Rd.

*Wednesday, Apr. 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Mirro Center, 10622 Parkview Plaza Dr.

*Thursday, Apr. 28 from 7-9 a.m. at the Mirro Center, 10622 Parkview Plaza Dr.

*Thursday, Apr. 28 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Mirro Center, 10622 Parkview Plaza Dr.

The city has a site for residents with questions. For more information, click here.