Mayor has monumental plan for Georgia Street, delays name change
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard temporarily calls off plans to rename the historic street to instead focus on a project that would line it with 30 monuments saluting famous Hoosiers.
Greg Ballard
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Ballard fulfilled some pledges; others fell by wayside
The Republican mayor says he curbed crime, made government transparent, and pushed for property tax reform. His Democratic challenger says Ballard didn’t make good on repealing an income tax increase, hiring hundreds of police officers, or making education a top priority.
Critics: Wrecking ball won’t fix Indianapolis neighborhoods
Many neighborhood leaders have hailed Mayor Greg Ballard’s initiative to raze some 2,000 abandoned homes by the end of 2012 as a long-overdue means of tackling urban blight. But some residents and experts fear rampant demolition—without a clear plan for how to redevelop the properties—will fail to improve neighborhoods.
Mayoral foes see different paths to boost business
Both candidates for Indianapolis mayor are touting a host of ways to improve the city’s business climate. Incumbent Greg Ballard champions improving the city’s amenities. Challenger Melina Kennedy focuses on recruiting entrepreneurs to the city.
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.
City plans to put $80M from utility sale into new fund
The money would be used as a safeguard to help Indianapolis maintain its AAA credit ratings. But Democrat mayoral challenger Melina Kennedy is criticizing the move.
Mayoral foe: Utilities sale money should fund ‘human capital’
Democratic mayoral candidate Melina Kennedy unveiled a proposal Friday to set aside $150 million in proceeds from the sale of the city’s water and sewer utilities to fund early education, crime prevention and job training.
Shrinking revenue puts Ballard in hot seat
A drop in local income-tax revenue could put Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard between a familiar political rock and hard place as he faces re-election. Next year’s budgets must be approved in October, when Ballard’s race with Democratic challenger Melina Kennedy will be in the home stretch.
Did Mayor Ballard jump gun on charter closure?
An Indianapolis charter school marked for closure by Mayor Greg Ballard posted huge gains in ISTEP scores this year, and school leaders plan to ask Ballard to reconsider his decision.
City’s ambitious tech-corridor plan no sure thing
Indianapolis leaders are hoping a new plan launched by Mayor Greg Ballard’s administration to transform the area northwest of downtown into a high-tech job and life-sciences research magnet will turn the long-discussed idea into a reality.
City leaders look to 16th Street as future tech hub
Officials on Thursday shared details of a long-term plan to redevelop an industrial stretch northwest of downtown with the goal of attracting hundreds of residents and dozens of high-tech companies to the area.
Critics: City’s effort to help ex-offenders ineffective
Three years after Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard launched a city office designed to help ex-offenders avoid a repeat prison visit, some of those original supporters say the city’s Office of Re-Entry Initiatives not only has fallen short of that goal but has accomplished little else.
Challenger in Indianapolis mayoral race releases sustainability plan
Among Melina Kennedy’s priorities is educating residents and businesses about recycling and making it more convenient.
Ballard to ask for control of IPS schools facing state takeover
But Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard also reiterated his opposition to mayoral control over all of IPS, which some local leaders have pushed for recently. He called that idea “premature.”
Indianapolis mayor challengers among primary hopefuls
Democrats will choose their candidate Tuesday to run against Indianapolis Republican Mayor Greg Ballard, while voters statewide pick nominees for city offices.
Mayor’s charter schools director to leave
Karega Rausch will become the Indianapolis director of Stand for Children, an Oregon-based not-for-profit that pushes education reform through grass-roots organizing and legislative lobbying.
Job-creation claims are hot potato
The city’s decade-record number of job commitments in 2010 could be the most frequently discussed figure in the run-up to this fall’s mayoral election, but the number of commitments is difficult to verify.
City to close Fountain Square charter school
The decision to close Fountain Square Academy, announced Friday morning at a press conference, marks the first time Mayor Greg Ballard has chosen to shut down a charter school.
Ride along on a bike commute from Carmel to downtown Indy
IBJ reporter Gabrielle Poshadlo follows Don Jarrels on his daily jaunt downtown. Bonus video: A look inside Eli Lilly and Co.'s bike-to-work program.
Ballard says jobs, neighborhoods critical
Creating a climate that allows businesses to thrive and improving Indianapolis’ neighborhoods will be critical to the city’s future success. That was the message Mayor Greg Ballard conveyed Thursday night in his fourth-annual State of the City speech, delivered at the Indianapolis Artsgarden downtown.