City-County Council votes to expand downtown TIF district
Council members voted 24-1 to include in the TIF district the former General Motors stamping plant property and the Market East District.
Council members voted 24-1 to include in the TIF district the former General Motors stamping plant property and the Market East District.
City-County Council Vice President Zach Adamson, along with fellow Democrat Monroe Gray, will propose on Monday raising council members’ pay from $11,400 per year to $25,000 per year.
The proposal, which supporters say will spur development in needed areas, still needs the support of the full City-County Council to move forward.
Candidates already have come forward to take over Districts 24 and 25 now that Aaron Freeman and Jack Sandlin have won seats in the state senate.
Pedal pubs will be licensed by the city and will have to carry liability insurance, among other requirements.
The move is a win for Mayor Joe Hogsett, who originally faced skepticism from council Republicans over the decision to borrow for big-ticket items by renewing bonds that are about to expire.
Ratings service Moody’s said Indianapolis’ ability to maintain a AAA rating on $78.6 million of general obligation debt reflects a “healthy financial position despite continued draws on reserves to support ongoing operations and capital maintenance.”
The Nov. 8 referendum—if it’s approved—doesn’t institute a transit tax. It only gives the City-County Council permission to vote on one, if it chooses to.
The budget, Mayor Joe Hogsett’s first in office, sailed relatively smoothly through the public process except for a debate from Republicans about road funding.
Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration is targeting the former General Motors stamping plant site on the west side, where development plans have stalled, and the upstart Market East District on the opposite end of downtown.
Both Indianapolis Republicans and Democrats want to spend $20 million on infrastructure, but the question is about how to fund it.
Under rules to be proposed next week, operators of foot-powered trolleys on Indianapolis streets would need to be licensed and insured. City councilors also hope to address noise complaints.
The deal, which still needs to be approved by the full council, would give the city $45,000 per year in franchise fees.
The Hogsett administration’s proposal is to take big-ticket items out of the city’s operating budget to help resolve a persistent budget deficit. Republicans worry about taking on the debt.
Mapleton-Fall Creek Development Corp. and Merchants Affordable Housing Corp. are closing in on a complex financing plan for the proposed low-income housing development.
Advocates and opponents of a Nov. 8 referendum that would let the City-County Council increase taxes to pay for a mass transit plan are gearing up to vie for your vote.
The city aims to spend $12.7 million less than it did last year in an effort to begin reducing the structural deficit.
Negotiations with property owners to buy a few parcels of land in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood appears to have stalled. City-County Council members this week will discuss exercising eminent domain.
The decision follows a seven-week investigation into an alleged incident involving Democrat Zach Adamson that the accuser said occurred last fall.
Most of the special disbursement has to be spent on transportation funding, but the city can decide what to do with 25 percent of its $53 million distribution.