City of New Albany, Caesars Foundation, and Legacy Foundation Announce $7 Million Investment in Monon South Freedom Trail

City of New Albany, Caesars Foundation, and Legacy Foundation Announce $7 Million Investment in Monon South Freedom Trail

Southern segment opening marks major milestone as City breaks ground on northern segment

Groundbreaking for Northern Segment of Monon South Freedom Trail

The City of New Albany, the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, and the Legacy Foundation are announcing a $7 million grant supporting completion of the Monon South Freedom Trail, a transformative investment in outdoor recreation, regional connectivity, and New Albany’s future. The Caesars Foundation is providing $5 million directly to the project to support immediate construction. The Floyd County Legacy Foundation has committed an additional $2 million as part of the project’s funding partnership.

The announcement comes as the City celebrates Friday’s ribbon cutting for the trail’s southern segment and breaks ground on its northern segment.

The Monon South Freedom Trail

The southern segment connects the Ohio River Greenway with downtown New Albany, establishing the foundation for a trail corridor that will link neighborhoods, businesses, and recreational destinations. The northern segment will build on that progress, bringing the City closer to neighboring residents, visitors, and with our friends throughout Southern Indiana. When completed, the full trail will stretch approximately 63 miles through Southern Indiana, making it the longest continuous recreational trail in the state. 

“This is an extraordinary grant to New Albany and the people who call our city home, and we want to thank Brad Seigel with Caesars for his efforts to move this project forward,” said Mayor Jeff Gahan. “The Caesars Foundation’s generous gift will help us take the next major step toward completing the Monon South Freedom Trail, creating a lasting community asset that families will enjoy for generations.”

“The Monon South Freedom Trail represents an opportunity to make a lasting difference in our community,” said Tyler Bliss, Executive Director of the Caesars Foundation. “We are proud to help bring this project to life and experience the lasting impact it will have on our community and beyond. This investment will create new opportunities for people to come together, support local businesses, and experience all that Southern Indiana has to offer.”

Beyond its recreational benefits, the trail is expected to draw visitors, support nearby businesses, and strengthen New Albany’s role as the southern gateway and trailhead of the regional trail system. It will provide new opportunities for walking, running, and bicycling while connecting people with the community’s history and natural surroundings. It also connects directly to the new Mountain Bike Park and other amenities along the Greenway.

The Monon South Freedom Trail also honors the corridor’s significance as a route used by enslaved African Americans seeking freedom through the Underground Railroad. Its name reflects the City’s commitment to preserving that history as the former railroad corridor begins a new chapter.

“Cutting the ribbon on the southern segment is a proud moment for New Albany, and we are excited to carry that momentum into the northern segment,” said Mayor Gahan. “This trail celebrates our history while opening new doors for our future. We are grateful to Tyler Bliss and the Caesars Foundation for sharing that vision and helping us turn this dream into a reality for the people of our River City.”

Mayor Gahan shares comments on "MUST" before Statewide Conference begins

Mayor Gahan shares comments on "MUST" before Statewide Conference begins

This week, Accelerate Indiana Municipalities will bring leaders from across the state together for its annual Ideas Summit. As they discuss the future of local government, including the Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce process known as MUST, I want New Albany’s experience to be part of that conversation.

MUST grew out of Senate Bill 1, a piece of state legislation that cut property taxes and changed how local income taxes will be distributed. The governor ran on cutting property taxes, and they were determined to get them through, no matter the cost to cities, towns, and schools across the state.

Property tax relief sounds good, but the state must be honest about what happens when it reduces the money local governments rely on to provide essential services and infrastructure. Police officers, firefighters, emergency medical workers, streets, and parks all are now in jeopardy. If the state cuts local resources and forces cities to reduce critical services like police officers and firefighters, then that is clearly a bad solution for residents.

Here in New Albany, we know what responsible local government looks like. For more than 15 years, we have kept our budgets balanced, maintained an A+ financial rating, and delivered improvements without raising taxes. We have invested in public safety facilities, strengthened city services, expanded our parks, and continued building the New Albany Shoreline. Our residents can see what their city government delivers.

That record is why we take proposals to combine city and county resources so seriously. Past shared service agreements with Floyd County have left the City paying more than its share. We also remain concerned about a nearly $45 million difference between Floyd County financial records identified in their most recent state audit.

No responsible person would enter into a financial entanglement with a group that has a $45 million discrepancy in their financial audits.

We knew at this point that we needed to participate so that the concerns and pocketbooks of New Albany residents would be protected. We participated in the MUST discussions to learn about the proposal and make sure New Albany had a voice. We appreciate the county officials who took the time to meet and communicate with us. After considering what was put forward, however, we voted no.

We voted no because New Albany residents depend on strong city services. We voted no because our police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical workers are essential to their safety. We voted no because our past experience tells us that merging city and county services would hurt city residents. And we voted no because we will not support a plan that pressures local officials to raise taxes to make up for poor decisions made at the Statehouse.

MUST agreements are currently nonbinding, and the new local income tax structure has been delayed until 2029. That gives state lawmakers time to listen to cities and towns and change course. We have shared our concerns with county and state officials, and we urge our statewide officials to not abandon the local services that residents count on.

It is not too late to stop this action in its tracks. I encourage you to reach out to your state-wide elected officials and let your thoughts on this be known.

In the meantime, New Albany will keep showing up for these discussions, and we will also keep standing up for the people of New Albany.

NEW ALBANY VOTES “NO” ON FLOYD COUNTY’S “MUST” PROPOSAL

NEW ALBANY VOTES “NO” ON FLOYD COUNTY’S “MUST” PROPOSAL

“New Albany would be supportive of a fair system, but Floyd County’s MUST proposal is harmful for the people of New Albany and our surrounding area,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “This NO vote is NOT a rejection of cooperation, but it reflects our responsibility to protect New Albany residents, taxpayers, and essential services until state legislators can provide clear data, local accountability, and enforceable safeguards.”

We are voting NO for the following reasons:

• NO to Merged City/County Governments:

  • As proposed, the MUST process weakens our city and reduces accountability of local government with less representation, more taxes, and less services for city residents. A City-County merger would be a tremendous setback for the people of New Albany and the entire region.

• NO to increased Taxes:

  • The MUST process would force unnecessary tax raises on the people of New Albany. We have not raised taxes on the people of New Albany for over 15 years and we see no reason to now.

• NO to Reduced Services:

  • The MUST process would reduce services, including public safety services like police and firefighters. This is not acceptable for the city of New Albany.

To see the full technical analysis from our financial advisor, click HERE

MAYOR GAHAN: NEW ALBANY TO CAUTIOUSLY CONTINUE PARTICIPATION IN MUST DISCUSSIONS

MAYOR GAHAN: NEW ALBANY TO CAUTIOUSLY CONTINUE PARTICIPATION IN MUST DISCUSSIONS

The MUST process was created following the passage of Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA 1) as an attempt to help local governments address the negative impacts of the new law. However, the taskforce's recommendations are not binding and cannot be enforced.

"MUST is a response to the problems created by SEA 1," Mayor Gahan said. "It is clear it should have occurred before the legislation became law, not afterward."

Mayor Gahan said once again the City will attend tonight's meeting alongside its financial advisor to better understand the options being discussed and to ensure New Albany's interests are represented.

"New Albany has consistently demonstrated responsible financial management," stated Mayor Gahan. "For 15 consecutive years, we’ve received excellent financial audits, and never raised taxes on our residents. It is important to maintain that record."

Mayor Gahan also emphasized that the City's participation in the MUST process should not be viewed as support for merging city and county governments or services.

"We have not committed to any option,” Mayor Gahan said. "History has shown that government consolidations often result in higher costs and fewer services for residents. Our priorities include protecting the quality of life of our residents, keeping decision making local, and providing the dependable public services that residents have come to expect."

Mayor Gahan Opposes City/County Merger

MAYOR GAHAN OPPOSES CITY/COUNTY MERGER

As Floyd County's Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce (MUST) prepares for its third meeting, Mayor Jeff Gahan said New Albany will continue participating in the process but still has concerns about “MUST” and the problems that Senate Bill 1 and Senate Enrolled Act 1 have already caused for cities in the state of Indiana.

Most cities across Indiana are preparing for dramatic cuts to public safety and services caused by Senate Bill 1, but Mayor Gahan has said that the City of New Albany will oppose any proposal that reduces public safety funding or lowers the quality of life for city residents.

Mayor Gahan noted that New Albany enters the process with one of the strongest financial records in the region, having finished under budget for 15 consecutive years, maintained excellent financial audits, earned an A+ financial rating, and never raised local taxes.

By contrast, Floyd County's most recent audit identified an approximately $45 million accounting discrepancy that remains unresolved.

"It is difficult to negotiate the future when the county still cannot explain a $45 million discrepancy in its own financial records," Gahan said.

Mayor Gahan also raised concerns about the direction of the MUST process, saying it increasingly appears to be an attempt to move Floyd County toward a UNIGOV-style consolidation and merger of city and county services, all without the approval or consent of local voters.

“It’s clear that mergers like this do not work, and they typically result in decreased services for cities, and increased taxes for everyone,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “That’s why we cannot support this.”

As it currently stands, the Floyd County-led initiative could lower public safety funding as well as other quality of life services that the people of New Albany rely on. Mayor Gahan reiterated that the city of New Albany will not support any proposal that lowers funding for public safety or quality of life services.