Administration and Finance Committee Reviews Reappointment and FY2026 Budget Proposals on September 2, 2025
Administration and Finance Committee Reviews Reappointment and FY2026 Budget Proposals on September 2, 2025
The Administration and Finance Committee met on September 2, 2025, to consider Proposal No. 233 reappointing Ebony Chappel to the Alcoholic Beverage Board and to hold budget hearings for the Office of Minority and Women Business Development (OMWBD), Office of Corporation Counsel (OCC), Information Services Agency (ISA), and Office of Audit and Performance (OAP). All items were moved favorably to the full council.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were noted.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public provided testimony.
Discussion Items
Proposal No. 233 – Reappointment of Ebony Chappel
- Councilor Frank Mascari introduced the proposal. Ebony Chappel, the reappointee, stated she has served one term and wishes to continue working with nightlife businesses to ensure community safety. Councilor Nick Roberts inquired about term length; Chappel responded it is a full calendar year. The committee voted unanimously to move Proposal 233 to the full council with a do-pass recommendation.
Budget Hearing – Office of Minority and Women Business Development (OMWBD)
- Director David Fredricks presented the 2026 proposed budget of $1,282,386, a decrease of $193,451 from 2025. The reduction is due to transitioning to a more economical software (B2Gnow) and reduced ISA chargebacks. OMWBD reported record certified vendor numbers (1,112 YTD), 166 business and bid consultations, and an increase in diverse business spending by nearly 3% from 2023 to 2024. The total city spend was $847 billion (as stated by the director). Council questions focused on the character one reduction despite COLAs and health insurance increases, a slight decrease in veteran-owned business spending (0.37%), consequences for contractors not meeting diversity goals (withholding payments, possible debarment), and the scope of the 2025 disparity study (covering 2019-2024). Director Fredricks noted the office is now fully staffed. The committee moved the budget to review and analysis.
Budget Hearing – Office of Corporation Counsel (OCC)
- Corporation Counsel Brandon Beeler presented the 2026 budget of $1,424,613, a decrease of $362,871 from 2025. The reduction was achieved by holding off on hiring some positions and reducing central services charges. OCC highlighted litigation outcomes: 110 cases filed in 2025 to date, 81 resolved; OCP filed 671 cases and closed 579. Opioid settlement funds received total $16 million, projected at $71 million. Discussion focused on the SAUSA partnership for violent crime prosecution (currently paused due to federal hiring freeze), the Kia/Hyundai class action (phase II discovery), and concerns about slow ordinance violation prosecutions by the Office of City Prosecutor. Councilors Boots and Cahill noted cases continuing for years, undermining public confidence. Beeler acknowledged the issue and noted recent reduction in court time. The committee moved the budget to review and analysis.
Budget Hearing – Information Services Agency (ISA)
- Chief Information Officer Collin Hill presented the 2026 expense budget of $45,140,107 and revenue budget of $45,821,050, nearly flat from 2025. ISA has 52 full-time positions (46 filled) plus ~100 from managed service providers (Bell Techlogix and Daniels Associates). Customer satisfaction remains at 98%. Hill explained the new chargeback model that charges agencies direct usage costs plus a core services fee based on FTE count. Council questions addressed cybersecurity posture (defense in depth, tabletop exercises), disaster recovery planning, data system silos and efforts to unify data, issues with the MIBOR (Marion County) IT system (still pending resolution despite special appropriation), and the need for modernization and system rationalization. ISA noted recent achievements: Windows 11 rollout nearly complete, free Wi-Fi in 30 city parks (12.03 TB usage from July 1-August 22, 2025), and AI training partnerships. The committee moved the budget to review and analysis.
Budget Hearing – Office of Audit and Performance (OAP)
- Director Leslie Jones and Deputy Director Vivian Agnew presented the 2026 budget of $1,950,759, a reduction of $55,727 from 2025. OAP has 9 FTEs (currently hiring for senior auditor). Achievements include training 42 employees across 23 departments in data literacy and Power BI, launching virtual Lean training, and conducting the first city-county employee survey in 8 years (closed September 1, 2025). Council questions covered project assignment (self-initiated or requested), oversight of the external audit contract with Forvis Mazars, rationale for OAP being outside OFM, and the survey report timeline (by end of 2025). The committee moved the budget to review and analysis.
Key Outcomes
- Proposal No. 233 passed committee with a unanimous do-pass recommendation, advancing to the full council.
- All four budget hearings (OMWBD, OCC, ISA, OAP) were moved favorably to the full council for review and analysis.
- No votes were recorded against any item.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Welcome to the Admin and Finance Committee meeting. I'd like to start with introductions to my left. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Derek Cahill, District 23. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mike Dilp, District 24. Thank you, Mr. Chairman Renee Allen, District 15. Thank you, Mr. Chair Nick Roberts, district four. Thank you, Chairman Andy Nielsen, District 14. Thank you, Chairman Ms. Gary, Dan Boots, District 3. Good evening, Chairman Miss Gary, Krista Carlino, District 11, Far West Side. Good evening, Maggie Lewis, District 5. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, John Barth, representing District 7. Frank Muscary, District 19. Start out with we only have one proposal. Reappoints Ebony Chapel to the Alcoholic Beverage Board American is Ebony here. Do you have the floor? Welcome. How many years have you been on the board? Um just one term has been served. One term that gets interesting, I bet. Tell us why you'd like to be on the board. Yeah, I would like to be on the board. I've learned a lot about how to work um closely with people that you know own nightlife spots and other businesses and making sure that they're safe for the community. That's probably been the biggest you know perk that I've gotten out of being on the board. So I'm happy to serve another term and continue doing that work. Any questions from the counselors? Anyone? Anyone from the audience? Go ahead. I entertained a motion. I think he has a question. Well, you had a question. You raised your hand quicker. Right. Hey, I did. Okay, go for it. Uh thank you for offering the just curious. Your term, how long are the terms for your board? Um, I believe it is a full calendar year. Okay, got it. Thank you. Thank you.
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