3/8/2005
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Jo Lynn Garing, [317] 327-3690 |
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Mayor outlines possible layoffs, cuts without Indianapolis Works this year
City must cut $35 million, which could mean police & firefighter layoffs, closing parks, cutting neighborhood services and others
INDIANAPOLIS - At least $35 million in city and county services funded by property taxes would have to be eliminated or cut if the Indiana General Assembly does not pass Indianapolis Works this year, Mayor Bart Peterson said today.
When the plan was announced in August, Peterson warned that Indianapolis was experiencing what other cities across the country, such as Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and others, are facing right now: local government shortfalls that are increasing at a staggering rate.
He also warned that if nothing were done, the city and county would be forced to lay off police officers, Sheriff's deputies and firefighters, close parks, cut neighborhood services and cut back on other important services.
"Indianapolis Works will cut the cost of government by $35 million every year," Mayor Peterson said. "Without it, we face very unattractive, but very real cuts in the services taxpayers expect and deserve.
"Indianapolis Works will help us avoid laying off police officers, deputies and firefighters, closing parks, cutting neighborhoods services and other services, and it's important for the legislature and the public we serve to know the hard choices we will face," the Mayor added.
Potential cuts. The city and county has experienced structural budget shortfalls for the past several years. To help address the problem, Mayor Peterson ordered $55 million in one-time cuts in 2003 and 2004. Nonetheless, city and county government is still projected to face dramatic shortfalls in 2006 and beyond.
The situation is much worse for the Indianapolis Police Department and the Indianapolis Fire Department because unlike other city and county services, they rely only on property taxes in the old city limits. While this tax base has leveled off in the last several years, the cost of public safety and the unfunded pension obligations continues to rise.
That means that any city program that relies on property tax dollars could be cut to make up the $35 million. This includes:
- Laying off police officers;
- Laying off firefighters;
- Closing city parks;
- Cutting neighborhood services;
- Eliminating leaf collection; and
- Reducing street sweeping.
This does not include the cuts county government - which funds the Marion County Prosecutor's office, the Marion County Sheriff's department, the county jail, the court system and much of the local criminal justice system - would have to make.
However, saving $35 million every year would help prevent these cuts, patch shortfalls and put most of local government on sound financial footing, the Mayor said.
"I have the responsibility to ensure local government is running as efficiently as possible," Mayor Peterson said. "Indianapolis Works will free up $35 million so we can continue to provide excellent service to the people of Indianapolis."
Legislative status. Most laws governing Indianapolis-Marion County's structure are in a state statute, commonly referred to as the "Unigov statute." That means the Indiana General Assembly must approve the Mayor's plan to streamline local government and save Marion County taxpayers $35 million a year.
The plan had two hearings before the House Local Government Committee, but died last week with more than 130 other bills when the Indiana House shut down last week. Peterson will work with the Indiana Senate, as well as the House to have the plan placed into legislation that is still alive.
"I will fight for Indianapolis Works until I've expended my last ounce of energy and my last drop of idealism," Mayor Peterson said, reiterating his remarks in his State of the City Address last week.
Services Eligible to be Cut without Indianapolis Works*
(not including county service cuts/layoffs)
IPD Lay off sworn police officers
IPD Lay off civilian employees
IPD Reduce equipment needs in relation to a decrease in police force (cars, weapons, personal safety equipment, computers, etc.)
IPD Reduce infrastructure, such as closing district buildings
IPD Eliminate horse patrol
IPD Eliminate motorcycle patrol
IPD Eliminate bike patrol
IPD Eliminate youth leagues (PAL Club)
IPD Eliminate illegal dumping enforcement
IPD Eliminate Neighborhood Crime Stoppers funding
IFD Lay off sworn firefighters
IFD Lay off civilian employees
IFD Reduce fire equipment needs in relation to a decrease in firefighters (personal safety equipment, ladder trucks, fire engines, etc.)
IFD Reduce fire infrastructure, such as closing fire stations
IFD Reduce code enforcement efforts
DPS Reduce Animal Care & Control adoption and outreach programs
DPS Eliminate Weights & Measures
DPS Transfer responsibility for school crossing guards to IPS
DPW Eliminate leaf collection
DPW Reduce street sweeping
DPW Reduce garbage collection
DPW Eliminate garbage collection on holidays
DPW Eliminate recycling collections (curbside & drop-off)
DPW Eliminate recycling processing
DPW Eliminate neighborhood clean ups
DPW Eliminate recycling & revitalization efforts (Keep Indianapolis Beautiful)
DPW Reduce public housing collections
DPW Reduce dead animal pick-up
DPW Reduce abandoned vehicles program (net savings)
DPW Reduce roadside & abandoned lot mowing
DPW Eliminate all non-regulatory water quality monitoring
DPW Eliminate neighborhood drop-off program for toxic chemicals (Tox-Drop)
Parks Eliminate parks cleanup & beautification programs
Parks Reduce repairs, upkeep, utilities & improvements at all parks
Parks Close Bethel Park Pool
Parks Close Broad Ripple Park Pool
Parks Close Brookside Park Aquatic Center
Parks Close Douglass Park Pool
Parks Close Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park Pool
Parks Close Ellenberger Park Pool
Parks Close Garfield Park Aquatic Center
Parks Close Forest Manor Middle School Pool - indoor
Parks Close Gustafson Park Pool
Parks Close Indy Island/Raymond Park Aquatic Center - indoor
Parks Close Krannert Park Aquatic Center - indoor & outdoor
Parks Close LaShonna Bates Aquatic Center - indoor
Parks Close Northwestway Park Aquatic Center
Parks Close Perry Park Aquatic Center
Parks Close Rhodius Park Pool
Parks Close Riverside Park Aquatic Center
Parks Close Sahm Park Aquatic Center
Parks Close Thatcher Park Pool - indoor
Parks Close Washington Community School Pool - indoor
Parks Close Wes Montgomery Park Pool
Parks Close Willard Park Pool
Parks Close Lake Sullivan Park & Velodrome
Parks Close Post Road Park
Parks Close Raymond Park
Parks Close Kuntz Stadium
Parks Close Glenns Valley Park
Parks Close Southeastway Park
Parks Close Holliday Park Nature Center
Parks Close Garfield Conservatory
Parks Close Brookside Park Recreation Center
Parks Close Washington Park Recreation Center
Parks Close Riverside Park Recreation Center
Parks Close Watkins Park Recreation Center
Parks Close Douglass Park Recreation Center
Parks Close Thatcher Park Recreation Center
Parks Close Krannert Park Recreation Center
Parks Close Broad Ripple Park Recreation Center
Parks Close Christian Park Recreation Center
Parks Close Garfield Park Recreation Center
Parks Close Eagle Creek Pond outdoor ice rink
Parks Close Ellenberger Park Ice Rink
Parks Close Perry Park Ice Rink
Parks Close Bethel Park Family Center
Parks Close Rhodius Park Family Center
Parks Close Municipal Gardens Park Family Center
Parks Close JTV Hill Family Center
Parks Close Pride Park Family Center
Parks Eliminate Geist Reservoir Trail project
Parks Eliminate summer camps
Parks Eliminate after school programs
Parks Eliminate arts funding for city arts organizations
Parks End arts in the parks programs
Parks Close Chuck Klein Softball Complex
Parks Layoff Park Rangers
Parks Eliminate senior citizen programming
Parks Eliminate land stewardship programs, which reestablish native plant species and remove invasive species and weeds
Parks Reduce maintenance, upkeep & patrols at neighborhood parks:
Acorn Park
Al E. Polin Park
Andrew Ramsey Park
Arsenal Park
Babe Denny Park
Barton Park
Beckwith Memorial Park
Bellamy Park
Bertha Ross Park
Bethel Park
Beville Park
Bluff Road Park
Bowman Park
Broadway & 29th Street Park
Broadway and 61st Park
Canterbury Park
Carson Park
Centennial & Groff Park
Chapel Hill Park
Christina Oaks Park
Clayton & LaSalle Park
Crooked Creek Multi-Service Center
Denver Park
Doris Cowherd Park
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park
Dubarry Park
Eagle Highlands Neighborhood Park
Edna Balz Lacy Park
Eva Talley Park
Faculty Park
Fairview Park
Fall Creek & 16th Park
Fall Creek & 30th Park
Forest Manor Park
Fox Hill Manor
Franklin Township Community Park
Gardner Park
Gateway West Park
German Church & 30th Park
Greene Park
Gustafson Park
Haughville Park
Hawthorne Park
Highland Park
Indianola Park
John Ed Park
Juan Solomon Park
Kelly Park
Lentz Park
Max Bahr Park
Moreland Park
Olin Park
Oscar Charleston Park
Patricia Park
Pride Park
Paul Ruster Park
Rev. Mozel Sanders Park
Ridenour Park
Robey Park
Roselawn Park
Ross Claypool Park
Sandorf Park
Southside Park
Spades Park
Stout Field
Stringtown Park
Talbott & 29th Park
Tarkington Park
Thompson Park
Tibbs & 21st Park
Tolin-Akeman Park
Virginia Lee O'Brien Park
Wes Montgomery Park
Willard Park
WISH Park
DMD Eliminate historic preservation planning
DMD Eliminate funding of neighborhood resource coordinators
DMD Reduce neighborhood outreach efforts (township administrators)
DMD Reduce staff of Mayor's Action Center
DMD Reduce zoning staff
DMD Eliminate façade improvement grants
DMD Eliminate Indianapolis Mapping and Geographic Infrastructure System subsidy
DOA Eliminate utilities & maintenance for City Market
DOA Eliminate Cable Agency Grants, which are educational programming grants for public television
DOA Close Channel 16 operations
* This list may be supplemented by other services and initiatives that are funded by countywide property tax dollars.
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