City father and Indiana Pacers chief Jim Morris says Indianapolis will rise or fall depending on how well the city nurtures
children and connects with the world. So, how are we doing?
Mall retailer The Finish Line Inc. has agreed to forfeit a potentially lucrative tax-abatement deal because it won’t be able
to meet a 2008 promise to create almost 200 jobs and invest $24 million at its Indianapolis headquarters.
The city of Indianapolis is seeking to consolidate management of its parking operations into a single, long-term lease that
could net it tens of millions of dollars to make street and sidewalk repairs. City leaders are expected to release a request
for proposals “soon.”
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said the city expects to recover $5.5 million from companies that failed to meet job requirements. The
city will use the money to fund economic development, convention, tourism and education efforts.
Mayor Greg Ballard expected to announce at his State of the City address Wednesday evening that the Indianapolis Convention
& Visitors Association and Indianapolis Economic Development Inc. could receive about $1 million each from the city.
People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals made the $7,500 offer in a letter to Mayor Greg Ballard after the chain made
a deal to help pay for fire extinguishers and smoke detectors.
Mayor Greg Ballard this month rolled out the first of what he hopes will be 10 to 15 city sponsorship and advertising deals
this year, with the aim of saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
KFC agreed to pay city for smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in exchange for using Indianapolis Fire Department to help
it launch new fiery grilled wings. Mayor Greg Ballard hopes the deal is the first of many such corporate sponsorships.
Clear Channel Outdoor is building Marion County’s first full-size digital billboard along Fall Creek Parkway on the
grounds of the Indiana State Fair. The first message might as well be: Take that, Indianapolis!
Mayor Greg Ballard is on the right track with his plan to ask the City-Council to raise fees on businesses in order to
improve code enforcement. But the push-back he’s receiving from
the business community is understandable.
Indianapolis property tax bills, paid in two installments due in May and November, should be sent without delay for the first year since
2006.
The new year could bring substantially higher fees to businesses that are licensed by the city under a plan to shift the cost
of such licenses to the users.
Greenwood and White River Township officials advance a plan that would create Indiana’s sixth-largest city, if residents
approve it May 4.
Dale Cheatham, who starts work Jan. 4, was city manager of The Colony, Texas, a growing community of
40,000, for eight years. Before that, he spent four years as city manager of Watauga, Texas.
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s administration has chosen five local contractors to run 12 municipal golf courses for
the next 10 years, and expects to get $6.3 million in capital improvements out of the deal.
Some Indiana mayors, desperate for revenue, think it’s time for "payments-in-lieu-of-taxes."
Lobbyists paid $1,000 or more to sway city or county officials will be required to report all activity online.
City Market has agreed to forgive Constantino’s $27,000 in unpaid rent if the meat and produce stand shuts down by Dec.
24.
Indianapolis’ largest computer consulting firm on Wednesday received property-tax abatement relating to its plans to
create 200 high-paying jobs and invest $600,000 in new equipment.
Deadline for nominations is Dec. 15 for projects in the categories of air, energy, land, water and “reduce,
reuse, recycle.”
