Pummeled by pandemic, CIB making ‘hard decisions’
But Executive Director Andy Mallon says he’s “very confident” the board will recover from not only the pandemic but also necessary spending cuts and financial hits over the next 18 months.
Local Government
Articles
New law means $4.7M more in tax revenue for Fishers, courtesy of Carmel
Special legislation passed in 2019 that caps Carmel’s income tax revenue growth at 2.5% per year for three years, with any excess transferred to Fishers, was triggered in the first year it could apply.
Proposal offers city employees early retirement ahead of expected 2022 revenue declines
Of the city-county’s workforce of about 7,000 employees, 724 are eligible for the early-retirement program.
Public health veteran Dr. Virginia Caine both upbeat and frustrated
IBJ talked with Caine about her pandemic frustrations, how testing and contact-tracing are going and whether the Indianapolis 500 should run with fans in the stands.
Locals on hook for State Road 37’s cost overruns in Hamilton County
Officials are estimating the corridor improvements will run $47 million over the project’s original $124 million budget.
Secretary of state holds firm to absentee-ballot deadline, says county should have geared up faster
Marion County’s clerk had implored the Indiana Election Commission to extend the deadline, saying thousands of voters who planned to vote by mail in Tuesday’s election might not be able to do so.
State allocates $300M to local governments for coronavirus aid
Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Friday during his press briefing that cities, towns and counties will be eligible for a certain portion of the $300 million based on population.
State, city government freeze hiring—but haven’t furloughed employees—as budgets tighten
State and local government budgets are expected to be hit hard as a result of restaurants, retailers and other businesses being closed for weeks.
Anonymous donors pay water and sewer bills for Fortville residents
Town Manager Joe Renner said some residents had bills as high as $100. He said the total donation was more than $210,000.
Are local governments ready for the storm clouds brewing? At least they have time to plan.
City and county officials are grappling with the sacrifices they’ll have to make as plummeting employment, delayed collections and reduced economic activity cut into tax revenue.
Health officials in Indiana seek money, manpower after first COVID-19 case surfaces
Tracking down who might have come into contact with the first patient to test positive will require plenty of legwork, and more cases are sure to arise, officials said.
Legislature proves it’s unafraid to meddle in Indianapolis affairs
Just in the past month or so, lawmakers have debated proposals to prohibit cities from regulating landlord-tenant relations, allow the attorney general to step in when a local prosecutor decides not to pursue a case, and cut funding to IndyGo—which might stop construction of future bus rapid-transit lines.
GOP lawmakers push to broaden definition of panhandling
The new language, which was added to a bill this week, would effectively make it illegal to panhandle in all of downtown Indianapolis.
Indiana counties battle cyber attackers with help from state, feds
To fight cyberattacks, state and local government officials are taking a page from the enemy’s playbook by expanding protections against attacks from one entry point to thousands.
Public-private partnership launching venue to test, develop 5G technologies
Indiana is positioning itself to be the epicenter for the latest generation of wireless technology, which experts say will be revolutionary.
911 tax hike means Hamilton County has cash to spend
An income tax hike going into effect next year will generate millions of dollars more than needed—a windfall government officials are eyeing to help pay for other public safety initiatives.
Cities seek state authority to join forces on taxes, projects
Central Indiana elected officials want to create a formal organization that could combine regional resources to pursue transformational projects.
Hogsett, Merritt lay out plans for infrastructure, poverty in first mayoral debate
The debate was the first of 2019 between Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, a Democrat, and Republican state Sen. Jim Merritt. The debate largely focused on infrastructure and regionalism, inequity and public safety.
Carmel to pay $64,000 to change Westfield highway sign
The sign installed along U.S. 31 near 146th Street in Carmel says “Westfield” on both the north and south sides of the sign, even though drivers heading south are traveling into Carmel.
Fortville girds for population surge but seeks to keep charm
The next few years will be big for Fortville as it launches several projects near downtown that aim to make the area more pedestrian-friendly and draw in more businesses.