Unigov 2.0 isn’t just about savings
Saving money may be the bottom-line reason for reforming local government, but that’s only one of the benefits.
Local Government
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Center Township’s Drummer stepping down
Center Township Trustee Carl Drummer intends to resign from his post to take a lobbying job with Ice Miller LLP, according to a WISH-TV Channel 8 report.
Town of Fishers considers new form of government
Sitting in gridlocked traffic along Interstate 69, Fishers residents might already think of their town as
a city. This sprawling suburb of 65,000 people certainly looks nothing like the burg of less than 1,000 it was three decades ago.
But down at the municipal government complex, Fishers is still a town, just as it was incorporated in 1891.
City government should shop locally
Good luck getting people to buy from local vendors or manufacturers.
Beech Grove government bracing for budget cuts
Property-tax caps should help Hoosier homeowners save a bundle next year.
Arts advocates seek money from Indy government
The Arts Council of Indianapolis is leading talks with city councilors, Deputy Mayor Nick Weber and the chiefs of top cultural
organizations about how to create a bigger pot of revenue for the arts.
City of Lawrence, billboard firms tangle with Marion County planners
What started as a dispute over a pair of digital billboards in Lawrence has evolved into a battle with broad implications
for Marion County.
New hotel tax in Johnson County would fund horse park, tourism bureau
Johnson County officials this month approved a 7-percent tax on hotel-room stays.
Appeals pay off for biz owners
More than one in four Marion County commercial and industrial property owners has appealed its property tax assessments this
year, and the challenges often are paying off in a big way.
Communities making tough choices will be better off
During the coming weeks, a number of Indiana cities and counties will be coming to terms with their new budget realities.
Transit isn’t just an expense; it’s an investment
The Metropolitan Development Commission gave Indianapolis area transportation planners the green light Nov. 12 to do an expedited
study that would show locations, cost and potential ridership for mass transit routes region-wide.
Study examines regional commuter rail types and their expense
The Metropolitan Development Commission has given city planners the green light to seek an expedited study that would provide
a clearer picture of what a comprehensive regional transit system could look like and how much it would cost.
Cultural Development Commission may lose millions used to promote Indianapolis art
A commission that has drawn $12.5 million in grants and public money to promote Indianapolis’ artistic side is awaiting word
on its future.
Leaders analyze Denver’s commuter transit
Sixty Indianapolis-area business and civic leaders visited Denver Oct. 19-21 as
part of the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce 2008 Leadership Exchange and paid close attention to public transportation, especially commuter trains.
Reader suggests IBJ journalists probe officials’ assertions
The airport authority should not assume a 3-percent growth rate because of the new airport, and the FFA Convention was not
as wildly successful as reported. Mayor Peterson shouldn’t be held out as a good example of a mayor who supports public transportation.
‘Rollcrete’ might provide alternative to pricey asphalt
Cities and counties are looking for alternatives to asphalt as the price soars for the oil-based material and threatens
to bring paving projects and contractors skidding to a halt. The city of Indianapolis may have just found
one viable alternative that goes down like asphalt: roller-compacted concrete, or "rollcrete."
Mayor’s Action Center might be privatized to cure chronic woes
Maybe it’s a stray dog rooting through your garbage. Perhaps someone has abandoned a car amid the potholes riddling your
street. Either way, Indianapolis offers a one-stop shop for irate residents to complain. Just dial the Mayor’s
Action Center at 327-4MAC. Then get ready to wait. And wait. So long, in fact, that close to half of the
MAC’s callers hang up in frustration.
Sports Corp. made city a sports giant, but real estate plans fell short
Construction of Pan Am Plaza in the mid-1980s was a major step in the evolution of Indianapolis into a sports town worthy
of hosting a Super Bowl. But the office building, parking garage, skating rinks and public gathering place came up short over
the years in other ways for both taxpayers and developer, the Indiana Sports Corp.
Flood of appeals expected after rushed biz property-tax assessment
In 2005, assessors valued the 559-acre Indianapolis Motor Speedway at $34.4 million for property tax purposes. According to
the latest Marion County reassessment, it now has a market value of $170 million. Thousands of other businesses also would
see extraordinary spikes in property values, according to an IBJ analysis of the latest assessment data.
Streetcars work in Portland, but viability here uncertain
If the introduction of modern streetcars to one West Coast city can be replicated here, Indianapolis would see new, higher-density
housing and related retail and restaurants shadowing the line. Fallow areas crossed by the tracks would become fertile for
new investment. At least that was the case in Portland, Ore., a city mesmerizing to Indianapolis civic leaders, who last month
formed Downtown Indianapolis Streetcar Corp. They risk being run out of town on a rail: a streetcar line will cost…