The Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission approved a 10-year tax abatement Wednesday afternoon for a controversial
public-private plan to redevelop a vacant downtown office building.
A city board this week will consider tax abatements worth about $47,000 over six years for Indianapolis-based IT consultant
Apparatus Inc., which is moving its headquarters to the former WFYI building at 1401 N. Meridian St.
A proposal that would prevent smokers from lighting up in all indoor public places in Marion County is expected to meet fierce
resistance from bar owners who oppose a stricter smoking ban.
Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear has fired the city’s economic development director, Kevin Kelly, after Kelly had
been on the job for about two years.
Officials grappling with a water utility deep in debt and a sewer infrastructure needing upwards of $2 billion in
upgrades were swamped with proposals about how to fix the mess.
Among 23 firms that have expressed interest in operating Indianapolis’ water and sewer systems is Macquarie, the Australian
firm that operates the Indiana Toll Road under a 75-year, $3.8 billion lease. In July, the city asked companies to express
interest in operating the systems.
In the worst recession since the Great Depression, it must be difficult to broker business expansions. But
IEDI’s making no excuses for the city’s job creation and retention figures. In fact, it’s touting them.
The Westfield City Council passed a smoking ban 7-0 last night that will prohibit smoking in most public places, including
outdoor arenas, stadiums and amphitheaters.
The financial condition of the city’s Capital Improvement Board, though improving, is still dire enough that employees
of the Indiana Convention Center could be subjected to more unpaid furloughs or layoffs.
Mayor Greg Ballard’s administration has asked the businesses for ideas on
how Eagle Creek Park and Riverside Regional Park each could cut costs and generate more revenue.
The idea of the not-for-profit Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association taking out a loan was not warmly received by
city officials. And financial institutions were less than thrilled with the idea given the ICVA’s diminishing revenue
and increasing costs.
The solution to the property tax fiasco that swept Republican Mayor Greg Ballard into office in 2007 is making his job harder, and
it could lead to his undoing.
The Indianapolis arts community is breathing a collective sigh of relief after learning that the city is not expected to reduce
its funding in 2010. The City-County Council will hear public comments tonight on Mayor Greg Ballard’s 2010 budget before
voting on it Sept. 21.
Fitch and other rating agencies are concerned that the phase-in of property tax caps will further strain the city’s finances.
Three music events with direct visitor spending estimated at $28 million that were hosted at Lucas Oil Stadium offer proof,
city officials said, that the expense of the retractable roof and other features of the $720 million facility are paying off.
The Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association is so desperate for more marketing funding, the organization charged
with promoting the city as a convention and tourism destination is considering taking out a loan. While that
would be the last resort, ICVA CEO Don Welsh said it is one he will have to consider if the money can’t be raised through
local taxes.
Several prominent local Democrats are lining up to challenge Republican Mayor Greg Ballard just two years into his first
term.
The City-County Council wisely averted disaster for the Capital Improvement Board Aug. 10 by voting to raise the city’s
hotel tax from 9 percent to 10 percent, but the razor-thin vote was another disappointing case of elected officials making
decisions based on partisanship rather than good judgment.
The beleaguered Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board has whittled its anticipated 2010 deficit of $47 million to only $5 million. But how it slashed $7 million since the end of the Legislative special session and how it proposes to close the final gap are a mystery.
A municipality has filed the first formal complaint against a cable television operator since state telecommunications reform
three years ago unplugged local government oversight of operators.
