BRACE YOURSELF, IT’S ABOUT TO GET UGLY
Mayor-elect Greg Ballard is receiving reports from his various transition team committees on operations concerning the city of Indianapolis. I jokingly say it’s like giving the city getting an enema. And the more I hear about the committees’ work and what they’ve found, the more apt that metaphor.
This city is in bad shape, folks. Much worse than a lot of people, including myself, could have ever imagined. Here are some examples.
At the Department of Public Works, there was no basic maintenance plan for upkeep of the fleet. More than a third of the city’s salt trucks are in bad condition. And there are serious questions about our salt supply.
The number of dropped calls, ones that never get completed because the person hangs up, to the Mayor’s Action Center was described as “outrageous.”
There are city workers who have take home cars and law enforcement officers who need them.
There are serious management issues in the Indianapolis Fire Department.
There are “concerns” at the Airport.
There are city employees who haven’t had raises in five years.
And while small, but significant, once a pothole is reported, the city has no time deadline to get it fixed.
These are just the tips of the iceberg. I think a major audit of this town is in order.
A spokesperson for the Ballard team would not comment on the specifics of the transition committee reports, only to say that the Mayor-elect is going to set standards and hold individuals accountable.
Good luck, Mr. Mayor-elect. From the looks of things, you’re gonna need it.
