City Leaders Approve $35 Million In Spending Monday

Source: (Photo: Chris Davis/WIBC)

INDIANAPOLIS — Lots of numbers were thrown around in last night’s Indianapolis City-County Council meeting, but overall the council passed a package of resolutions and ordinances totaling around $35 million.

The included arts grants, rezoning for revitalization around Lafayette Square Mall, funding for affordable housing projects, and $8 million for infrastructure improvements throughout the city.

The latter will go towards projects included in the Safe Streets for All Federal grant application, according to Councilor Zach Adamson (D). An omission from the proposal was a plan for to outfit more intersections downtown with “No Turn On Red” signs.

That plan, which was meant to help improve safety for people crossing city streets at intersections downtown, was left out of the final proposal after getting pushback from state lawmakers.

Another big proposal was approved to begin work on an affordable housing project being pushed by the mayor known as the Forty-Six Flats. The project will provide affordable housing to people and give them a break on what they pay in rent based on certain percentages of the area median income on a case-by-case basis.

“What we’re talking really about here is 60-percent AMI or under, because it has low-income housing tax credits from the state of Indiana,” said Rusty Carr, interim director of the Department of Metropolitan Development. “I think we have 13 units at 30 percent AMI, so those are deeply affordable.”

Most of the appropriation proposals passed unanimously at Monday’s meeting.

Councilors also passed a resolution saying that the councilors recognize “attacks on young LGBTQIA+ Hoosiers” and want to reaffirm the City of Indianapolis’ commitment to their safety and freedom.