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.
Mayor Greg Ballard’s
administration is requesting proposals to manage all but one of Indianapolis’
13 municipal courses.
In trying times, people and businesses often have to get creative to make ends meet. The same should hold true for local government. That’s why we commend city leaders for thinking outside the box in considering two initiatives to cut costs and generate public revenue.
City officials are considering several proposals designed to wrestle more revenue out of
the city’s roughly 4,000 parking meters, including
the possibility of a long-term lease to a private firm, a move that netted Chicago more than $1 billion
last year.
The Capital Improvement Board could be forced to give up one of its most profitable assets so the city can pull off a $65-million
public-private downtown development deal. The city has agreed to help a developer revitalize the vacant former Bank One operations
center in part by acquiring an adjacent
parking garage for $18.5 million.
Within weeks, EnerDel expects to receive notification that it’s getting as much as $480 million in financing under a U.S.
Department of Energy program aimed at fostering advanced vehicle manufacturing.
The city has unveiled a dramatic plan for new housing and retail development to revitalize the old Market Square Arena site.
Despite some shortcomings, the project deserves a chance to give the stagnant area a boost.
A $65 million public-private plan for the redevelopment of a vacant downtown office building is raising eyebrows for its unusual
approach and potential risk to taxpayers. The plan calls for a private developer to acquire the former Bank One operations
center, surface parking lots and an adjacent
parking garage from a private owner for $18.5 million, then sell the 1,680-space garage to the city for $18.5 million.
Local leaders and, soon, a national team of experts, are quietly developing a strategy to revitalize Marion County’s biggest
concentration of brownfield sites and impoverished urban neighborhoods, centered at East 22nd Street and the Monon Trail.
The Arts Council of Indianapolis faces the unenviable task of divvying up less than $1 million in city grants for the arts, compared with $2.15 million that was awarded last year.
While the Marian College cycling team has been off this month hunting national championships in Colorado, a plan by school officials to manage the Major Taylor Velodrome has not yet won support from Indy Parks.
Indianapolis still looks like a city with momentum, despite the dismal economy. But appearances can be deceiving.
City officials want to raise money by selling sponsorships, advertising and possibly even naming-rights deals for city-owned
properties as they attempt to chip away at a projected $23 million deficit in the municipal budget.
