Hogsett’s $1.6B city-county budget proposal includes more support for police, transportation

Mayor Joe Hogsett debuted his $1.6 billion budget package Monday night, packed with a slew of cross-department initiatives intended to foster greater public safety and more infrastructure and quality of life efforts. 

In his prepared presentation to the City-County Council, the Democratic mayor rolled out what his office says is his eighth structurally balanced budget. His 2025 budget proposal contains no new taxes.

But his staff stressed that federal American Rescue Plan Act funds are running dry and union contracts are currently being renegotiated—two factors that constrain spending.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department would continue to be the most expensive line item in the budget at nearly $338 million, followed by the Indianapolis Fire Department with $258 million and the Department of Public Works at $246 million. 

Hogsett administration officials noted that one focus of this budget cycle is on improving traffic safety throughout the city in response to community feedback.

In 2020, Indianapolis saw 39 pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, the highest number in the previous 15 years, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. That number ticked up to 40 in both 2021 and 2022.

“We have and will continue to make historic investments in the hundreds of millions of dollars in our vehicular and pedestrian safety infrastructure,” Hogsett said. “We need to keep up this work until no one, regardless of whether you’re driving, biking or walking in our streets, no one loses a family member or neighbor to preventable traffic crashes.”

The Indianapolis City-County Council will hold a public hearing on the contents of the budget Sept. 23 and vote on the final budget Oct. 7.

Public safety 

The budget seeks a $25.5 million combined increase in funding for IMPD and the county sheriff, totaling nearly $338 million and $141 million, respectively. 

The 4% increase for IMPD would fund support and facilities improvements, information technology and digital forensics support staff and the every-six-year vehicle replacement push, IMPD Chief Christopher Bailey told reporters Monday. 

This year’s budget can support 1,743 fully funded officers. 

Last year, Hogsett and the council passed a budget that included nearly $324 million for IMPD, a record increase from the year prior. The investment funded equipment installation and upgrades, including public safety cameras, additional license plate readers and about 750 dashboard cameras. It also raised salaries last year to recruit more officers.

Crime rates remain a point of contention for residents, which heightened to a fever pitch during last year’s mayoral campaign. Bailey said public safety investments in recent years, along with community programming, have led to a drop in homicides and other crimes. 

The Marion County Sheriff’s Department would see a nearly 9% budget increase. That would pay for Community Justice Center damage repairs and radio upgrades for jail and court officers.

The Indianapolis Fire Department would use part of its $258 million to establish an arson unit fully under its roof (which was previously an IMPD-IFD partnership) as well as station and apparatus maintenance and repair. 

Union contracts

The city will be negotiating new labor contracts with seven union entities, and the city expects there to be substantial salary increases after about a decade of minimal increases. 

Unions up for new contracts include firefighters, police officers, sheriff deputies, public defenders and members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Hogsett thanked each of the groups for their contributions to the city, especially during the pandemic. Those comments drew a standing ovation from several union T-shirt-clad members and officers in uniform.

“I want to offer you all more than just a verbal note of appreciation,” he said. “We’re going to be signing new contracts with nearly all our employee unions this year to give them, not just the equipment resources and support they deserve, but the pay increases and benefits that their families deserve.

Using fund balances, City Controller Sarah Riordan told reporters Monday, the city will have the flexibility to negotiate. 

The goal is to finalize contracts by the time of the budget’s passage, she said. The contracts were last negotiated in 2020, and city officials told reporters that they expect increases in most salaries, which they said was a needed adjustment with inflation and recruitment woes.

Grant dollars shifts

The sunsetting of the COVID-era American Rescue Plan Act federal funding will likely lead to a number of community programs ending at the end of the year. There was an expectation that some programs were specifically needed during the pandemic, Riordan said, and others required the organizations that house them to find solutions to become sustainable

Under the proposed budget, some programs would proceed, including a crime prevention grant program, the Peacemakers program and the Tenant Advocacy Project. RISE INDY’s Circle City Readers also would continue to the end of the 2024-25 school year. 

The largest increase in funding this cycle belongs to the Department of Public Works. The department has an additional $14.6 million budgeted, largely thanks to a $14.5 million increase in state grants. 

Infrastructure building 

The Department of Public Works updated its $1.039 billion, 5-year capital infrastructure plan, which includes $859 million for transportation and $180 million for stormwater improvements. The department also would add staff and make a $16.3 million investment to improve its tree canopy and land stewardship efforts, director Brandon Herget told reporters.

Hogsett said his administration’s handling of budgets has allowed the city to improve its credit rating and is now able to access lower interest rates for projects.

Indianapolis Animal Care Services would be broken off as an independent city agency; it was previously a part of the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services. Its first-year budget is $8.2 million, and its new 70,000-square-foot animal care center is on track for completion in early 2026. 

A companion ordinance announced alongside the budget Monday night would grant each city-county councilor $1 million to fund one neighborhood project in their district. Leaders in parks and public works have identified potential projects that councilors could select, such as playground improvements or safety improvements at identified dangerous intersections. 

City leaders anticipate councilors would garner constituent feedback and make a decision with the city on funding.

Repubublicans, outnumbered on the council by a 19-6 margin, said they looked forward to working on the budget with Democrats in the mayor’s office and on the council.

“Throughout this budget process, we will be focused on making sure public safety, infrastructure, economic development, and vital quality of life projects are being appropriately funded,” the Republican councilors said in joint written remarks.