Indy Council Democrats Need Votes to Override Hogsett’s Wheel Tax Veto

The Indianapolis City-County Council will vote on whether to override Mayor Hogsett’s veto of the proposed wheel tax on August 10th.

A man in a suit speaking at a podium with a police badge visible. — Source: The Office of Mayor Joe Hogsett

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis City-County Council Democratic leaders say they do not have the 17 votes needed to override Mayor Joe Hogsett’s veto of the proposed wheel tax ahead of an August 10th vote.

“Let us be clear: no one wants to ask residents to pay more,” council Democratic leadership said in a statement Wednesday. “Supporting the wheel tax was not an easy decision, but leadership often requires making difficult choices.”

Council leaders say without new revenue, the city will have to make deep budget cuts to meet state matching funds for road projects. They warn those cuts will mean reduced city services and potential staffing reductions.

“What is most troubling is that we still have no long-term, sustainable plan to address Indianapolis’ aging infrastructure,” Democratic leaders added. “Our roads and alleys continue to deteriorate, and year after year we fall further behind. We cannot call ourselves a world-class city while expecting residents and visitors to accept this as our long-term strategy.”