‘Nobody’s happy’: City-County Council passes $1.7B budget for 2026 amid concerns
After a lengthy discussion, the full council voted 17-8 in favor of the budget’s passage Monday evening. All six Republicans and two Democrats voted against it.
After a lengthy discussion, the full council voted 17-8 in favor of the budget’s passage Monday evening. All six Republicans and two Democrats voted against it.
The $20 million fiscal package is an addendum to the Hogsett administration’s $1.7 billion proposed budget for 2026.
The budget proposal presented by Mayor Scott Fadness to the Fishers City Council for next year also contains funding for seven road projects, including multiple roundabouts.
The city’s budget proposal includes funding increases for public safety and for parks, but other departments could see reductions.
The Hogsett administration said the mayor has no plans to seek a tax increase in 2026. That’s despite the fact that the city’s 2026 tax revenue is now expected to be $43 million short of earlier expectations.
Lawrence’s tumultuous budgeting process for 2025 reached an anticlimactic ending Wednesday evening when councilors voted 7-0 to approve the $28 million budget with plans to revisit it in January.
Three Democrats joined all six City-County Council Republicans in voting against the $1.65 billion budget plan.
Mayor Joe Hogsett’s staff stressed, however, that federal American Rescue Plan Act funds are running dry and union contracts are currently being renegotiated—two factors that constrain spending.
Taylor, chief of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department for nearly 4 years, plans to step down at the end of the year into another IMPD role.
The proposed IMPD budget is $10.6 million larger than in 2023. Officials said they are hopeful that the additional investment will draw police candidates to the department at a time when it is short more than 300 officers.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s proposal to create a city office prioritizing diversity efforts was met with “no” votes from some City-County Council Republicans. But Hogsett’s GOP mayoral opponent Jefferson Shreve wouldn’t rule out the concept if his public safety funding priorities could be met first.
Republicans expressed concerns about IndyGo’s recent revelations that the cost of the Blue Line is now projected to go $300 million over its initial price tag, mostly due to the cost of connecting to Citizens Energy Group’s sewer system on Washington Street.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett introduced his 2023 city budget to the City-County Council on Monday evening, highlighting priorities of property tax relief, violence reduction, infrastructure improvements and education.
Proposal 58 is a rare Republican-led initiative to gain traction in a legislative body with a 20-5 Democratic supermajority.
Councilors adopted the bulk of the budget proposal 23-1, with Democrat Ethan Evans voting against.
Indianapolis’ emergency services functions, including 911 and fire communications, are one step closer to becoming part of a new, separate agency with an initial $23.1 million budget.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is asking for $265 million, a $3.7 million increase from its approved 2021 budget.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration introduced a $1.35 billion budget proposal to the City-County-Council on Monday evening, with more than half allotted to public safety and criminal justice.
The operator of the city’s convention facilities reported its best monthly financial performance since the pandemic led the Indiana Convention Center to temporarily close down in March 2020.
Also, in a late-Monday vote, the council approved a controversial proposal that calls for adding four civilians to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department General Orders Committee.