Mayor Peterson's Butler University speech on Indianapolis Works

"A Choice Between Stagnation and Progress"

Butler University

April 25, 2005

Thank you Dr. Fong. I appreciate you and the entire Butler University community welcoming me here today. Our city stands at a crucial moment in its illustrious history. Having leapfrogged dozens of our peer cities with our extraordinary vision and the passionate commitment of our people and our leaders over the last three and a half decades, we literally face a choice between stagnation and progress.

How often are the people of a major American city in such a position? It is truly our choice whether we fall in with the failed cities that lay off their public safety professionals and cut the basic services that make up so much of the quality of life in neighborhoods, or whether we modernize with the times and remain America's urban governance model. What better place could there be to discuss such heady topics than the beautiful campus of Butler University?

Nine months ago I announced Indianapolis Works - our plan to complete the legendary Unigov reforms of 1969 that ushered in the Golden Age of Indianapolis. Indianapolis Works will end the last vestiges of "city versus county," "townships versus city," "us versus them" that bedevil us still, even 35 years after Unigov. Strength comes from unity. Anyone who doubts that should talk to those who have known this city inside and out both before Unigov and today. I have talked to them, and you know what? They universally support Indianapolis Works!

And Indianapolis Works, a Unigov for this generation, has many other benefits, not the least of which is it cuts the cost of local government by $35 million a year in Indianapolis. That's $100,000 every day . . . forever!

I mentioned earlier that the choice of whether to pass Indianapolis Works - the opportunity to choose a brighter future - was ours. That might sound a little odd. After all, it's the state legislature that must act this week or Indianapolis Works is dead. But I can assure you after four months of fighting for these crucial reforms in the General Assembly, we will get them if the legislators from Indianapolis support them. All the legislators from outside Marion County want to know is how their colleagues from inside Marion County feel.

And the time for walking on eggshells about accountability is over. Republicans run the legislature. Their constituents - including so many in their own party - want them to act now. Republican legislators from Marion County must step up now or Indianapolis Works is finished! They must step up now or they will owe an explanation to history for putting partisanship over progress for our city.

Behind me are several students who attend college in Indianapolis. In addition to the rites of passage entailed in college life, they are no doubt curious about their futures. What kind of city will Indianapolis be for them when they graduate? What will be the incentive to remain and settle down in Indianapolis? What kind of city will it be several years from now when we ask them to take up the mantel of leadership here? Whatever challenges they face in their time, I want these students to look back to today's leaders with an acknowledgement that we gave them the tools to succeed. That we provided a local government structure that worked. In short, I want them to feel for my generation of leaders at least a portion of the respect we feel for the founders of Unigov.

The first question these students might ask about Indianapolis Works is whether it is a sound government reform plan. After all, critics associated with township governments in Marion County have made a variety of accusations about Indianapolis Works. But each has been fully addressed publicly and put to rest. But like a low-budget horror flick, they keep coming back to life. Let me dispel five of the most egregious falsehoods persistently spread about Indianapolis Works.

First, they have argued that the financial analysis behind the $35 million in cost savings has not been proved. In fact, we began to put out public information on the cost savings in August of last year and it has all been on the Internet for at least six months. That information was made available to bi-partisan blue-ribbon panel of experts who held four public meetings last year. It was made available to the House committee that considered the Indianapolis Works legislation over more than 9 hours of public hearings. Most importantly, the cost savings methods were reviewed by an independent financial services firm, and Bill Sheldrake, a highly regarded fiscal analyst who called it the most comprehensively reviewed plan he has seen in his many years of experience. And, the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce has been reviewing the financial benefits of consolidation for at least ten years.

Second, some have raised the fear that Indianapolis Works will cause a tax increase in the parts of the townships outside the old city limits. That criticism rings increasingly hollow now that many townships have just dramatically increased their fire department-related property taxes. But it's also simply untrue that Indianapolis Works would raise taxes in the suburbs. We specifically crafted the legislation so that every taxpayer in every part of Marion County will benefit from the $35 million in cost savings.

Third, it has been argued that the understaffing of sheriff's deputies in the areas of the county outside the old city limits - estimated by Sheriff Anderson to be at least 250 deputies - will be cured, to the detriment of old-city limits residents, simply by moving Indianapolis Police Department officers from their current beats to new ones in the Sheriff's jurisdiction. This couldn't be further from the truth. Combining the Indianapolis Police Department and Marion County Sheriff's Department to create a new metropolitan police force will permit law enforcement resources to be utilized far more efficiently and productively.

Additional resources for the Sheriff's current jurisdiction will be available under the consolidation plan in three primary ways. We will erase the arbitrary boundary lines that currently define the police beats for both departments allowing officers greater coverage areas without diminishing effectiveness. We will move many officers in administrative positions back out on to the street. And we will make available for street duty the additional officers available after we combine the investigative units, like Homicide and Narcotics, which currently exist in both departments.

Fourth, some have been concerned that losing township government means losing the layer of government closest to the people. I think that concern is misplaced for several reasons. The vast majority of local governmental services are already provided by city or county government. Townships roles are very narrow. And, in any case, Indianapolis Works promises to locate neighborhood resources centers throughout the city where the former township-provided services will be available. No one will have to travel downtown for a service they receive in the townships today. Most of all, you don't get greater value for your tax dollar by having more elected officials and more layers of government.

Finally, some have said that fire and ambulance protection will suffer with a consolidated fire department. In fact, ambulance service and coverage will improve, and it will be based in the fire department. All local hospitals will be included in the countywide ambulance service. With regard to fire protection, the local fire union that represents all the firefighters in Marion County has stated unequivocally that a consolidated fire department will provide millions in cost savings to taxpayers, while increasing public and firefighter safety. That's why local firefighters voted overwhelmingly - 86% in favor - to support Indianapolis Works.

Opponents of Indianapolis Works have consistent talking points - they support the idea of consolidation, but they think it needs to be studied . . . studied some more . . . and then studied again. I think it's fair to say they would support the idea of studying it to death! Indianapolis Works and its component parts and supporting data have been dissected in public for nine months. Unigov, a much more radical departure from the status quo, was signed into law five months after it was introduced.

I think it would be helpful to offer the students behind me and our entire community competing visions of what may lie ahead after the General Assembly's last session day on April 29.

The first vision is of what Indianapolis can become with Indianapolis Works. Indianapolis Works will reduce the size of government, provide more accountability for the officials who spend your tax dollars, and save the taxpayers of Indianapolis and Marion County $35 million every year. It will also avoid an additional $20 million a year that would be required to add needed law enforcement protection in the Sheriff's jurisdiction.

The simple truth is that if you live outside the old city limits, you receive inadequate police protection - not because the Sheriff and his deputies aren't top quality, but because they don't have enough resources. Sheriff Anderson has made it clear that 250 new sheriff's deputies would be needed to control the rising crime rate in the suburbs under the existing system. But adding these deputies would cost approximately $20 million annually and raise taxes. Indianapolis Works would allow for fully staffed, effective policing in the suburban parts of Marion County without that additional $20 million in expenses.

Indianapolis Works will merge the eight township fire departments and the airport fire department into the Indianapolis Fire Department. We have released detailed data showing $20.8 million in annual savings resulting from fire department consolidation. And those savings are conservative. Consolidation would provide an even better fire service all across Marion County. For example, all firefighting equipment would be adequately staffed, something that often doesn't happen in several township fire departments today. And, IFD's national fire protection rating is the best in the county and in the top 1 percent in the United States.

And Indianapolis Works will end the worst of the excesses inherent in the outdated township government system here in Marion County. Sixty-three township elected offices will be eliminated, saving taxpayers millions of dollars. Remember, protecting township politicians is costing you $100,000 every day.

There is a second - starker - vision looming on the horizon. If the legislature does not pass Indianapolis Works this week, we will begin to see the consequences quickly. Essential city services will be cut. Eventually, police officers, firefighters and sheriff's deputies will be laid off. Parks will close or have their hours and programs severely limited. Streets will not be cleaned as often, autumn leaf collection will be restricted. And so it will go with so many critical services that make our city livable.

There will be tremendous pressure to raise taxes in all parts of local government. Everyone will be throwing money at a broken system. Just in the past month we have learned that many township governments in Marion County - indeed the very parts that we are attempting to consolidate with Indianapolis Works - have raised taxes substantially. In Wayne Township this year, for example, the fire tax rate went up 177% - in one year.

Businesses looking to relocate or expand look with disfavor at state and local governments that overtax, are inefficient, or are poorly funded. The Wall Street rating agency Standard and Poor's has said that passing Indianapolis Works would be good for the city's credit rating. We know what they will say if it doesn't pass. And what will that signal to the state and national business communities?

Indianapolis is not alone in facing local funding crises. Other cities across the country have been forced in recent years to cut services and personnel dramatically. Pittsburgh laid off 100 police officers, is closing fire stations, closed nearly all city swimming pools and recreation centers, and is raising parking taxes. Cleveland laid off 250 police officers and 70 firefighters. Detroit is laying off at least 700 city workers and making other cuts to fill its over $200 million dollar budget shortfall. And New York reduced its police force by 3,000 between 2001 and 2004.

Thirty-five years ago Unigov's visionary government reform plan put Indianapolis ahead of these other large cities in terms of reversing population decline and promoting sound fiscal management. But it's time to do it again - to make Indianapolis a leader in government among its peers. Otherwise our layoffs, service cuts, and tax increases will become sad statistics justifying the addition of Indianapolis to that list of troubled cities.

I have been thrilled at the breadth and depth of support for Indianapolis Works and for the recognition of the importance of passing it this year. Thirty-seven chief executives of Marion County's largest businesses wrote a letter to the Governor and to all 150 legislators urging passage of Indianapolis Works this year. Nine former deputy mayors of Indianapolis spanning the administrations of Mayors Lugar, Hudnut, Goldsmith and my own also wrote such a letter.

I am particularly proud that all three levels of the firefighters union - the international, state and local unions - have endorsed Indianapolis Works, because they simply would not have done so without believing that we could create a more safe and a more efficient consolidated fire department. And there are so many other vigorous supporters of the plan: The Indianapolis Star, the Indianapolis Business Journal, the Indiana and Greater Indianapolis Chambers of Commerce, the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors, Indy Partnership, Indianapolis Downtown Inc. . .and the list goes on and on.

As much as I appreciate the support for Indianapolis Works, I have come to realize how hard it is to enact a government reform plan into law. Change is difficult and unsettling. But we changed to become better 35 years ago, and we can do it again. And, after all, change is coming in one form or another. It can be the positive change that comes from the ability to reshape and retool our local government in Marion County. Or it can be the negative change that comes from paying more taxes for fewer services.

I'd like to invite these students - the leaders of tomorrow - and all citizens to contact their legislators and tell them that the success of our future depends on passing Indianapolis Works now! Thank you.


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