NOT EXACTLY SMOKE AND MIRRORS
The Indianapolis City-County Council Monday night passed a more than billion dollar budget. It included money for all the usual stuff, police, fire, streets, sewer, etc. In fact, it included $2 million more than last year’s budget. What’s interesting though is how the budget was paid for. The city replaced a lot of one time revenues with a permanent source of cash, yours.
There were budget “cuts” but not the way you think. For example, the Mayor’s office “cut” 10 percent but it was in the form of not filling two vacant positions, the positions weren’t eliminated, they just didn’t fund them. In addition, the Department of Public Works didn’t really cut, but delayed purchases until next year.
Some other ways the city “cut” the budget was to eliminate interagency billing of services. And that $50 million dollar cut in property taxes? Well, $43 million of it was going to happen anyway because the city has paid off its child welfare debt and reached a tax settlement with United Airlines.
Smoke and mirrors? Not quite but more like fog and reflective surfaces. The only thing that was sure about this budget was that it spends more and takes more of your money. And when you ask the Council about the budget, they will tell you “it was the best they could do.”
I’m sure it was.
