Officials are using more than $800,000 for southeast Fort Wayne projects instead of the initial request for a new Welcome to Fort Wayne sign on Interstate 69.

The Fort Wayne City Council on Tuesday removed the sign proposal from the agenda.

The sign was brought into budget discussions as members determined cuts to the 2026 city budget. Republican members cut $1 million from the Southeast Strategy Update implementation from the budget. They initially proposed cutting more than $2.2 million from the implementation plan but reduced it to $1 million after making cuts elsewhere.

Mayor Sharon Tucker on Friday asked the council to pull the sign request, which was denied. Council President Russ Jehl, R-2nd, said he waited to pull it until Tuesday’s meeting to clarify that the funding had not be

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