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Welcome to the Office of the Mayor for the City of Gary. The Office of the Mayor and members of the Mayors Cabinet are responsible for managing City departments, addressing the needs of the community, and implementing the Mayor's agenda.
We meet frequently to discuss strategy, foster effective cross-departmental collaboration, and ensure that City services are being delivered efficiently and equitably.
EddieD. Melton is the 22nd Mayor of Gary, Indiana—a proud native son determined to lead one of America’s most iconic cities into a new era of opportunity and renewal.
Mayor Melton overcame the traumatic odds of growing up amid gang violence and poverty. Defying those challenges, he earned an athletic scholarship to Kentucky State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), where he played quarterback and studied business management. He later earned a degree in organizational management from Calumet College of St. Joseph. A member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Mayor Melton has always carried his hometown pride and commitment to service wherever his path led.
Melton’s career spans leadership roles in philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, and corporate America—including at NIPSCO, a NiSource Fortune 500 energy company, and the Legacy Foundation. He also served as Interim CEO of the National Black Bank Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to strengthening Black-owned financial institutions and underserved communities.
Melton began his public service in 2015 with appointments to the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males and the Indiana State Board of Education. In 2016, he was elected to the Indiana State Senate, representing the 3rd District. There, he quickly emerged as a rising leader, becoming Assistant Senate Democratic Leader and Ranking Minority Member on the powerful Appropriations and State Budget Committees.
In 2016, he participated in a prestigious fellowship in Israel for national African American leaders through the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF), where he focused on foreign policy and national security. From 2017 to2024, Melton also served as Deputy Chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party.
During his nearly eight years in the Senate, Melton championed major legislative wins for Gary, including restoring local control of the Gary Community School Corporation and co-authoring the transformative legislation that led to the relocation and development of the Hard Rock Casino—now Indiana’s top-grossing casino.
On January 1, 2024, Melton made history again, becoming Mayor of Gary, a position Huffington Post dubbed “one of the toughest jobs in America.” An Alumni of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, Mayor Melton wasted no time rallying national partners, leveraging billions in investment, and charting a bold course for one of America’s most important comeback stories. In just two years in office, Mayor Melton has:
● Stabilized city finances, began paying off long-term debt, created a multi-million dollar rainy day fund, and restructured municipal departments for efficiency to better serve citizens.
● Secured a $100 million investment in the future Lake County Convention Center in partnership with Hard Rock and AECOM.
● Helped broker the $14 billion U.S.Steel – Nippon Steel international partnership, directly generating $3 billion in economic impact and hundreds of potential new union jobs for Gary and the region.
● Achieved a 23% reduction in homicides in 2024—the largest single-year drop in decades.
● Reversed population decline for the first time in over 50 years.
Today, Mayor Melton stands as a national voice on urban revitalization, inclusive economic development, and next-generation leadership. His bold vision is clear: to build a Greater Gary by uniting residents, reimagining public services, and making Gary the safest, cleanest, and most resilient city in the region—while expanding opportunity for all.
