City struggles to close gap on $30M in budget cuts
Indianapolis leaders made a pact to cut 5 percent from the already-adopted 2013 budget, but the reality might prove too difficult to stomach.
City budget
Articles
Ballard won’t levy charter fee, despite fiscal squeeze
Mayor Greg Ballard is nationally recognized as a rigorous charter authorizer, picky about which schools open and willing to shut down the under-performers. But there is a cost to the city’s education work and Ballard may have to consider how much of it can be supported by the city’s maxed-out general fund alone.
Senators look to sunset city’s ticket, excise tax hikes
Legislator says the recent tax increases aren’t being used for the purpose intended when such increases were authorized in 2009.
Council OKs tax hikes on tickets, car rentals
The Indianapolis City-County Council on Monday night approved tax hikes to admissions to downtown events and on rental cars.
Indianapolis government workers in line for raises
The merit raises for non-union employees come as the city tries to trim expenses by 5 percent.
Car-rental companies say higher tax will hurt locals, too
Indianapolis is poised to raise its tax on car rentals, drawing the ire of the auto-rental industry. Though local politicians routinely say such taxes hurt only visitors, more than half of car rentals are actually local, industry figures show.
City set to hike entertainment, visitor taxes
Indianapolis City-County Council leaders have agreed to increase visitor and entertainment taxes to avoid what one councilor called a drastic reduction in services.
Mayor reaches preliminary pact with police, firefighter unions
After saying in August he would revoke raises for police officers and firefighters, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has agreed in principal to a new contract that would delay a 3 percent salary hike by six months.
Ballard to nix parts of council budget
Mayor Greg Ballard plans to sign a $1 billion budget plan approved by the Indianapolis City-County Council earlier this month, but only after using his line-item veto powers to kill major portions of it.
City-County Council passes controversial budget
The Indianapolis City-County Council approved a budget Monday night that relies on a $15 million payment from a tax-exempt entity, likely setting the stage for a legal battle, plus difficult negotiations with Mayor Greg Ballard.
Democrat-controlled committee OKs tapping CIB for $15M
The plan—opposed by Republican Mayor Greg Ballard and members of the CIB—now advances to the City-County Council.
Six Sigma guru scours city budget for savings
Efficiency expert Manny Mendez, who has saved the city $4.9 million since 2008 through Six Sigma practices, is now scouring government operations in search of $15 million more.
Anderson officials challenging parts of firefighters’ deal
Officials in Anderson filed a complaint in Madison County Circuit Court this past week challenging portions of the Fire Department contract that prohibit the city from reducing the department's staff or salaries or putting firefighters on furloughs.
TIF district expansion proposal gets committee OK
A proposal that would expand a downtown tax-increment financing district to the northeast and northwest was approved Monday by the City-County Council's Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee.
Excess TIF revenue would help close city budget gap
Mayor proposes shifting $10 million out of downtown district to help make up for $65 million general-fund shortfall.
Dems grumbling over big raises for Ballard’s staff
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s staff received a collective 18-percent raise this spring following the hiring of a new deputy for education with an annual salary of $120,000.
Public safety due for budget cuts, mayor says
Public safety and criminal justice are the only places left in the city-county budgets to look for ways to close a $27 million spending gap for 2013. Sheriff, police, fire and court budgets account for 85 percent of the $569 million general fund.
Councilor seeks review of city’s TIF-district strategy
Brian Mahern, a Democrat on the City-County Council, plans to propose a study commission to examine the effectiveness of TIF districts, how property tax caps will affect them, and ways to increase transparency for the complicated financing vehicles.
Sheriff’s department concerned about budget crunch
Officials from the Marion County Sheriff’s Department say they are concerned that a $10 million gap in this year’s budget will hurt their ability to pay critical bills.
Parking deal netting city more meter money
In the quarter ended June 30, the city’s share of revenue from parking meters totaled $498,273 compared with $108,265 in the same time frame of 2010, a 360-percent increase.