INDIANAPOLIS -- Mayor Joe Hogsett presented his first budget to the Indianapolis City-County Council Monday night – a budget he says would cut the city's structural deficit by $14.2 million and fund the addition of 31 new officers to IMPD.
Hogsett's plan is partially aided by projected revenue increases for 2017 from property and income tax of $6 million and $23 million, respectively, compared to 2016.
He has also proposed a "smart-sizing" initiative to reduce the number of staff positions under the executive branch.
In addition to his proposed budget, Hogsett submitted a plan to spend $200 million over the next four years to make infrastructure repairs and improvements.
READ MORE | Hogsett wants $200M over four years to fix Indy streets and sidewalks
Find highlights of the mayor's proposed 2017 budget below:
Overall spending decrease of $12.7 million
Mayor Greg Ballard's final budget proposal for 2016 asked for $1.103 billion in spending with a projected revenue of $1.065 billion – a $38 million deficit from the outset. The revised 2016 Indianapolis budget added approximately another $7 million to that shortfall.
The budget Hogsett proposed Monday projects a slight increase in revenue for a total of $1.067 billion, and a $12.7 million decrease in spending from Ballard's proposed budget (the budget would be a nearly $20 million cut from the 2016 revised budget).
Hogsett's budget proposes accomplishing this with a $15 million reduction in public services and a $5 million reduction each to executive, legislative & administrative services and debt service and pension obligations. The budget also includes a proposed $200,000 reduction in personnel expenses within the office of the mayor.
Nearly $5 million more for IMPD
Entering office off the city's deadliest year on record, Hogsett – a former federal prosecutor – has made addressing crime one of the central issues of his first year. His proposed 2017 budget would give IMPD approximately $5 million more compared to Ballard's adopted 2016 budget. It also proposes reallocating funds within the department to dedicate $6.5 million more to personnel – a 3.5 percent increase overall.
To accomplish that, the budget calls for a $1.7 million reduction in spending on materials and services (38 percent) and cuts $770,000 from IMPD's property and equipment fund.
The budget also includes nearly $7 million more for the Indianapolis Fire Department, mostly accomplished by spending increases compared to the 2016 budget.
The new Office of Public Health and Safety
One of Hogsett's first major moves as mayor was to propose dissolving the Department of Public Safety in favor of having the chiefs of IMPD and IFD report directly to him. The Indianapolis City-County Council eventually signed off on the proposal, which included cutting nearly two dozen administrative jobs.
The proposed 2017 budget offers the first look at what the newly reorganized Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS) would look like:
- OPHS Administration: $3,006,527
- Reuben Engagement Center: $2,325,102
- Public Safety Communications: $5,665,276
- Re-Entry Services: $2,457,523 (funded primarily through $2.2 million in federal grants)
The Reuben Engagement Center, which is slated to operate on the second floor of the Marion County Arrestee Processing Center, will provide "shelter, medical detox, case management, mental health evaluations and housing referrals to chronically homeless, substance-addicted, mentally ill individuals," according to the budget. The project has been in the works for years and was finally approved by the City-County Council last year.
$200 million to fix the worst streets and sidewalks
Cracked sidewalks and hole-filled streets have been a frequent complaint for years in Indianapolis. Hogsett Monday night asked the City-County Council for $200 million to begin tackling the problem.
RTV6 Statehouse Reporter Katie Heinz took a deeper look into the mayor's proposal. Watch her report below:
Animal Care & Control
Previously under the umbrella of Public Health and Safety Services, Animal Care & Control will now fall under the Neighborhood Services budget. While the proposed budget doesn't provide a breakout for Animal Control, it proposes a $1.3 million overall increase to Neighborhood Services compared to its 2016 budget combined with the $4.66 million allocated for Animal Care & Control.
If you want to dig in deeper, you can find the mayor's full 2017 budget proposal below:
