Administration and Finance Committee Budget Hearings - September 1, 2026
Administration and Finance Committee Budget Hearings - September 1, 2026
The Administration and Finance Committee of the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council held a meeting on September 1, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in Room 221 of the City-County Building. The committee reviewed proposed 2027 budgets for three agencies: the Office of Minority and Women Business Development (OMWBD), the Office of Audit and Performance (OAP), and the Information Services Agency (ISA). No formal votes were taken; the presentations and related discussion were informational.
Office of Minority and Women Business Development (OMWBD)
- Director Fredericks presented the agency's 2027 budget request. He stated that the city's program continues to operate normally despite state-level changes (AG opinion letter and Governor's Executive Order 2617), and that the city program is based on the U.S. Supreme Court case J.A. Croson vs. City of Richmond.
- Key statistics: From 2020 to 2024, competitive city-county spend of $3.8 billion resulted in an XBE economic impact of $800 million (21% ROI). Combined with incentive projects, total spend was $8.8 billion with $2 billion in direct XBE spend (24% ROI). The office provided over 2,000 business consultations from 2020 to 2025.
- Proposed a new Small Business Enterprise (SBE) program with a 20% participation goal, applying to firms at or below half of SBA size standards, with a maximum annual revenue of $1.32 million per owner/member, and requiring the business to be headquartered and domiciled in Marion County. This would require a new ordinance and mayoral approval.
- In Q&A: Counselor Nielsen asked about the need for a new ordinance and partnerships with SBA. Director Fredericks confirmed a new ordinance would be needed and that the office collaborates with local SBA partners. President Lewis asked about potential conflict with the state program; Director Fredericks did not foresee conflict, noting the city's focus on Marion County. Counselor Boots noted a drop in consultations since 2023; Director Fredericks attributed it to businesses becoming busy after certification.
Office of Audit and Performance (OAP)
- Director Wesley Jones presented the 2027 budget request of $2.0 million, a $92,004 increase, largely driven by personnel costs. The office has 9 FTEs with zero vacancies. The audit team focuses on performance audits, risk management, and financial controls; the performance and innovation team provides data literacy training and consulting.
- Notable: The office's whistleblower hotline received 44 submissions in 2026, with 13 deemed credible. The OAP audit of the Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS) was released in April 2026, and follow-up work is ongoing.
- In Q&A: Counselor Mowery asked about the audit schedule and follow-up on OPHS. Director Jones explained the risk-based approach and that a six-month follow-up is typical, with the earliest opportunity for OPHS being late 2026. President Lewis asked about staff certifications; Director Jones noted two staff have advanced professional certifications, and the budget supports training for certifications like Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Fraud Examiner. Councillor Allen asked about the timeline for follow-up audits; Director Jones reiterated the six-month window and the need for auditees to implement changes.
Information Services Agency (ISA)
- New Chief Information Officer Kate Coton presented the 2027 budget. ISA has 52 budgeted positions with a 75% fill rate (13 vacancies). The agency relies on managed service providers (MSPs) for 76 additional positions. The budget is $88.6% in character three (contractual services), with a $3.1 million increase due to new building technology, ARPA initiative rollovers, and rising technology costs.
- Key initiatives: Migration of PeopleSoft to cloud, new property tax and camera system (deployment in 2027), GIS upgrades, AI-powered dashboards for courts (reclaiming ~100 hours/week), cybersecurity SOC deployment, and device lifecycle management (Windows 10 devices reduced to ~a dozen).
- In Q&A: Counselor Barth asked about the ratio of city staff to contractors and cybersecurity risks. CIO Coton acknowledged pay disparities make city hiring challenging but noted the value of public service and benefits. She described multi-pronged cybersecurity approach including federal/state partnerships, tooling, and training. Councillor Wells asked about device management, cost savings, and recycling. CIO Coton explained that PCs are leased with a $1 buyout option, and the city partners with an e-recycler. She noted that device refresh is critical for security and compliance.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes or decisions were taken. The committee heard presentations from OMWBD, OAP, and ISA. The presentations provided the committee with information on each agency's proposed 2027 budget, operations, and priorities. No further action was scheduled at the meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Welcome to the Admin and Finance Committee meeting. You'd like to start introductions to my left. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mike Dilk, District 24. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Brian Mowery, District 25. Thank you, Mr. Chair. John Barth, uh representing Council District 7. To my right. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Renee Allen, District 15, the Far East Side. Thank you, Chairman. Counselor Dan Boots, District 3. Evening, Chairman and Colleagues. Andy Nielsen, District 14. Thank you, Mr. Chairman Maggie Lewis. Good evening, Frank Mascarry, District 19. We have three budget hearings. Up first is Office of Minority and Women Business and Development. You have the floor. Welcome. This pack is really thick. You know, Monroe Gray used to just skip the numbers. I've seen him do it. Monroe Gray, I'm alpha like that. He starts there. But I'm gonna let you know about that. You have the floor. Chairman is done with your time. All right. Well, good afternoon, um, counselors and chairman. Thank you for allowing us to be here with you today. Um before uh I get into our budget presentation. I did want to make an opening statement regarding the state of Indiana. Um, our office, as most of you know, we are all aware of the opinion letter from the attorney general as well as the governor's executive order 2617. Um that executive order suspends all operations of certification of certifications for race and gender, uh, MBE and WBE. Um, but that only applies to state agencies. The Indiana Small Business Program uh is expected to be developed as a race neutral alternative to that program. But currently, Indiana Code 4-13-16.5, which is the code for the supplier diversity program, uh, it still is exist on the books. Um, but say all that to say that all of those um changes at the state level only pertain to the state itself. Um, our office and our program continue to operate as normal. Um of our place policies that we've had in place, um, those are still in place. Uh our office is based on the framework of the U.S. Supreme Court case of J.A.
openpublica.com