Largest Indy City Budget Ever Passes With Bipartisan Opposition

Source: Danielle Zulkosky/WISH-TV / other

INDIANAPOLIS — Despite some of the most bipartisan opposition in recent years, a proposed budget put forth by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett was approved by the city-county council on Monday.

The budget is the largest in the city’s history and encompasses more than $1.6 billion in planned spending for 2025. Hogsett postured its massive investments in the city’s police department, which will be getting the largest portion of the budget ($338 million), for pay raises for officers and other public safety initiatives.

Highlighting the budget will also be over $200 million in infrastructure investment, which includes repaving streets, resolving traffic issues, improving safety for vulnerable road users, and fixing stormwater issues in the public right-of-way. It also funds initiatives to have Vision Zero administrators come to the city to oversee a “Vision Zero Task Force.”

Despite these plans, and many more within the budget, nine councilors voted against the budget and the remaining 16 councilors voted to approve it.

“This overall budget ultimately falls short in addressing urgent needs in our community,” said Councilor Carlos Perkins (D), who was one of the three Democrats to vote against it.

“Despite the record number of pedestrians killed by poor infrastructure, there is limited investment in Vision Zero,” he continued. “There is also no investments made to address the urgent crisis of climate change.”

Fellow Democrat Jesse Brown gave the longest monologue of the evening about why he would be voting against it as well.

“The condition of the roads is just plain bad, and this budget locks in the fact that they are going to get worse,” Brown said.

Brown expressed concerns over what he believes is a lack of investment in housing, especially in protecting tenants at risk of being evicted from their homes. He also took issue with what he also believes are insufficient pay raises for some city workers. He also quipped at the council’s lack of a resolution supporting a “ceasefire in Palestine”, but quickly acknowledged the Indy city budget has nothing to do with that.

All five Republicans on the council voted against it as well, including Josh Bain (R), who has voted in favor of the budget every year he’s been on the council until now.

“Maybe it’s time to try something new,” Bain told fellow councilors. “Maybe we need to show that we are not okay with this budget. If that are not things you want to see in this budget and you vote for it, don’t expect things to change.”

Councilor Ron Gibson spoke on behalf of the Democrats voting in favor of it.

“This budget is physically sound for 2025,” Gibson said. “More importantly it operates within the revenue constraints without any tax increases. Our city and county enterprise employees with also get a raise, where appropriate, in their pay.”

Councilor Dan Boots also voted in favor of it but urged the city to find new ways to generate revenue without raising taxes to address the concerns being raised by those dissenting against the budget.

Mayor Hogsett released the following statement after the budget’s passage.

“I am proud of this Administration’s record of strong fiscal discipline and the eight consecutive fully balanced budgets that have now been passed on behalf of Indianapolis neighbors,” said Mayor Hogsett. “Despite ongoing labor negotiations and a year of tight revenue growth for the City and County, this 2025 budget shows our support for our employees and the important work they do each and every day to serve residents, as well as continues to fund successful City programs that we know are making Indianapolis a better, safer place for all.”