Daniels Calls For No More CIB Legislation

INDIANAPOLIS -- State lawmakers from the Indianapolis region said a plan to help the Capital Improvement Board, which operates the city's sporting venues, is a temporary fix, but Gov. Mitch Daniels said Wednesday he doesn't want any future legislation to deal with the CIB.

The Republican governor said city officials changed their minds more than once about what they wanted to help overcome a projected $47 million deficit for next year.

Daniels said Indianapolis should make do with the plan lawmakers passed Tuesday in the new budget.

The plan allows Indianapolis to raise its hotel tax immediately from 9 to 10 percent and raise car rental and ticket taxes in 2013.

Democratic House Speaker Patrick Bauer said the CIB issue raised resentment among lawmakers who want help for their communities and feel that Indianapolis gets an unfair amount of attention.

Daniels' comment appeared to make a thinly-veiled reference to Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, a fellow Republican, who championed different proposals at various points over the last few months.

Ballard was open in expressing his frustration Tuesday as lawmakers worked to wrap up the budget deal Tuesday.

The mayor said lawmakers' plan would raise only $25 million annually and doesn't go far enough in addressing an immediate need.

The hotel tax increase, combined with $10 million in operating cuts, would slice into the funding shortfall, but would still leave a $12 million gap.

"It's problematic. It's disappointing, and frankly, the state's the loser. It's the state sales tax revenue really at stake," Ballard said. "I was very clear we need to get over this three or four-year hump. Then, we could re-look at it. If we can't do it with what they are making available to us, we are going to have to make some serious decisions."

Ballard admitted that he doesn't have a Plan B, and said the city will be forced to work with what it has. With a new convention center under construction, Ballard said shorting CIB operational funding is not a good option.