INDIANAPOLIS -- With a mayoral victory and decisive City-County Council wins, Republicans took control of Indianapolis government in Tuesday's election.

Republicans will hold a 17-12 advantage in the City-County Council, overturning Democratic control of both the mayor's office and council, in which Democrats previously held a 15-14 advantage.

Republicans were jubilant about their gains in the council. They said their priority would be to cut spending and property taxes, 6News' Norman Cox reported.

"The one, first thing that everybody said was, 'We've got to cut local spending,'" Republican council member Bob Cockrum said. "They didn't know particularly where or how much, but they just felt like we were spending too much money. So we've got to take a hard look at that.

"Second thing is, they want to relieve property tax and put it over on something else."

Ballard and non-incumbents Republicans running for council appeared to have benefited from discontent regarding rising taxes, including an increase of the Marion County income tax.

Democrat council members said Tuesday that voters treated them unfairly over tax issues.

"I think they're holding, not just Democrats, but anyone who was in office unfairly accountable," said incumbent Joanne Sanders, the only Democrat to win one of the council's four at-large seats Tuesday.

Mike McQuillen, a Republican who was elected to the council Tuesday, said his party would ensure that citizens who try to speak at council meetings won't be shut out as some were last summer, when the panel debated tax issues.

"Locking the doors is never going to happen again," McQuillen said. "When the public is there to be heard, we're not going to lock the doors on the public when it comes time to hear the budget."