Administration and Finance Committee Meeting - August 26, 2025

The Administration and Finance Committee of the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council met on August 26, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in the Public Assembly Room. The committee considered four proposals (Nos. 236, 240, 241, 242) and held budget hearings for the Marion County Treasurer's Office, Auditor's Office, and the City-County Council Office. Key actions included advancing an ordinance to eliminate residency requirements for most city employees (Proposal 236) and approving three bond issuances totaling $21 million for snow trucks, tornado sirens, and a new fire station.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Proposal 236 (Residency Requirements): Ray Casanova, Chief Public Defender for Marion County, spoke in favor of eliminating the residency requirement, arguing it would create parity with the prosecutor's office (which has no residency rule), improve recruitment and retention of specialized attorneys, and protect the county's eligibility for state reimbursement of up to $11 million annually. He noted that two attorneys left his office in 2025 due to the requirement, leaving over 180 cases to be reassigned.
• Bond Proposals (240, 241, 242): Mary Bookwalter of Indianapolis raised concerns about the cost of new snow trucks and asked about the city's priorities for forest acquisition. Jeff Stant questioned the lack of funding for forest acquisition and asked for the total increase in assessed value that allowed the bond issuances.

Discussion Items

• Proposal No. 236, 2025 – Residency Requirements: Councilor Hart, the sponsor, presented the ordinance to amend Sections 279-241 and 291-112 of the city code to remove residency requirements for most city and county employees, preserving only those mandated by state law (e.g., police and fire chiefs, corporate counsel). He cited a July 2025 public safety roundtable where chiefs of police, fire, and emergency services recommended elimination to address staffing shortages. Councilor Bain added that the waiver process requires an employee to be hired first, discouraging applicants. Councilor Lewis asked Chief Financial Officer Candace Harris about the fiscal impact. Controller Ken Hanson estimated an annual revenue loss of $3.5–4 million, based on the assumption that 45–49% of currently restricted employees might move out of Marion County (using the observed rate among public safety employees). Councilors debated the estimate, with some questioning the basis and others noting the cost of vacancies and contractor reliance. Councilor Nielsen opposed, arguing the fiscal impact was a spending decision without a clear offset and that the city should invest in making Marion County more attractive. The committee voted 6-5 to send the proposal to the full council with a "do pass" recommendation. (Vote: Ayes: Councilors Nay, Cahill, Dilk, Maui, Roberts; Noes: Councilors Allen, Boots, Carlino, Lewis, Nielsen, Mascari.)
• Proposals No. 240, 241, 242 – Bond Issuances: Joe Glass, Executive Director of the Indianapolis Bond Bank, presented three bond proposals financed by increased assessed value and debt capacity, with no change to the property tax rate.
  • Proposal 240: Up to $4 million in special taxing district bonds for the Metropolitan Thoroughfare District to purchase 8–10 large snow trucks and other street maintenance equipment.
  • Proposal 241: Up to $8.5 million in special taxing district bonds for the Public Safety Communications Systems and Computer Facilities District to replace 62 tornado sirens (of 171 total), upgrade the Prime Site radio control system, MPLS routers, antennas, and dispatch consoles. Jacob Spence, Director of Emergency Management, stated the siren replacement would occur in phases over 2026–2027, with a contractor capacity of about 32 per year.
  • Proposal 242: Up to $8.5 million in general obligation bonds for a new fire station for Ladder 33 (replacing the two-bay station built in 1964 with a three-bay station; location to be determined).
  • All three proposals were approved by voice vote and will proceed to the full council.
• Budget Hearing – Marion County Treasurer's Office: Treasurer Barbara Lawrence and Chief Deputy Rodney Shine presented the 2026 budget. The office projects a 7.6% decrease in county general fund expenses ($3.45 million vs. $3.74 million in 2025), driven by reduced ISA chargebacks and building authority rent. Revenue from investment earnings is budgeted at $15.78 million, assuming a 3–3.25% yield on an average balance of $450 million. The office reported collecting and distributing 101% of the $1.7 billion property tax levy to 48 units of government in 2024. A key goal for 2026 is increasing paperless billing by 10% (from 30,634 parcels).
• Budget Hearing – Marion County Auditor's Office: Auditor Myla Eldridge presented the 2026 budget, with total expenses of $15.28 million, a decrease of approximately $112,000 from 2025. The office implemented a paperless accounts payable process that mails payments within three business days of invoice receipt. A goal for 2026 is to have 75% of vendor payments made by ACH, reducing check stock and postage costs. The office is also working on ACH for employee reimbursements.
• Budget Hearing – City-County Council Office: Chief Administrative Officer Greg Stowers and CFO Candace Harris presented the 2026 budget of $3.34 million, a 5.7% decrease from 2025. The reduction was achieved by right-sizing committees and reducing chargebacks. The budget accounts for 83% in personal services, including a 2.6% COLA for staff and councilors. Programmatic updates included progress on the AI Commission, cultural districts, homeowner repair program, and Vision Zero.

Key Outcomes

• Proposal 236 (Residency Requirements): Passed committee with a 6-5 vote and will be sent to the full City-County Council for consideration.
• Proposal 240 (Snow Trucks Bond): Approved by voice vote; moves to full council.
• Proposal 241 (Tornado Sirens Bond): Approved by voice vote; moves to full council.
• Proposal 242 (Fire Station 33 Bond): Approved by voice vote; moves to full council. The bond pricing and closing are anticipated for November or December 2025.
• Treasurer's 2026 Budget: Received and will be considered as part of the full budget process.
• Auditor's 2026 Budget: Received and will be considered as part of the full budget process.
• Council Office 2026 Budget: Received and will be considered as part of the full budget process.