Mayor Says Cuts Likely To Fix $26 Million Shortfall

INDIANAPOLIS -- The city is $26 million in the red and Mayor Greg Ballard said Monday nothing is off the table to get the budget back on track.

Two weeks before he's set to reveal his proposed 2009 budget, Ballard held his first open meeting on the issue Monday, 6News' Renee Jameson reported.

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Analysis: Capitol WatchBlog

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Ballard said the city's 2008 $1.2 billion operating budget had been underfunded, creating the current shortfall. Property taxes are also bringing in less, he said.

City controller David Reynolds said almost nothing is beyond the realm of consideration for trimming next year's budget, including possible job and service cuts or a surcharge on take-home public safety vehicles.

"It could get to the point where we have to stop doing things ... and those are the tough decisions that need to be made," he said.

Ballard said he believes the city's budget troubles can be fixed by simply streamlining some services.

"We're not looking at stopping what's been promised, I'll put it that way. But we are looking at restructuring," he said.

Democrats were quick to criticize Monday's meeting, which was held at 1 p.m., a time some said would have been difficult to many in the community to attend.

"This is not the easiest place to get to and to come in the afternoon, for many working people, neighborhood leadership or things like that this would have been pretty tricky to get to," said City-County Councilor Jackie Nytes.

Ballard will present his 2009 budget to the council on Aug. 11. Members will vote on the proposal in September.