7/21/2007
Media Contact:
Steve Campbell, [317] 327.3622 |
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Mayor orders hiring freeze, budget cuts; calls for efficiency panel
Peterson calls for ‘shared sacrifice’ on top of $83 million in cuts in the past four years
INDIANAPOLIS –Mayor Bart Peterson today announced a series of cost cutting measures, which include city budget cuts on top of the $83 million in cuts over the past four years.
“At a time when we are investing more public money in public safety, we also understand there must be shared sacrifice among everyone,” Mayor Peterson said. “These cuts will be a challenge, but our residents deserve and expect the leanest government possible.”
The measures include:
• Hiring freeze. The Mayor ordered an immediate hiring freeze for non-public safety agencies across the board in city-county government.
• Cutting non-public safety agencies – funded by property taxes – by more than 10% in 2007. Only those expenditures funded by property tax dollars have an impact on Marion County property tax bills. The Mayor ordered a cut of more than 10% of those non-public safety agencies funded by property taxes, which will total close to $13 million. Each department director will submit plans for the cuts in the next few weeks.
These cuts come on top of $83 million in past cuts in the 2003-2006 budgets.
• Calling for an “efficiency commission,” as outlined by the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. In its Invest in Indianapolis Phase II report released earlier this year, the Chamber proposed a commission to identify and promote efficiency measures among all taxing units in Marion County and better coordinate capital projects across taxing units.
Peterson said he will work with the City-County Council to pass an ordinance to create the commission that would include members of the community to determine ways to increase accountability across government agencies and engage in regional planning and coordination for major expenditures.
The Chamber has volunteered to help lead the effort with the Mayor and City-County Council.
• Continue the effort to consolidate or eliminate unnecessary levels of government. Peterson said he would continue to press the State legislature – in a special session or in the future – to finally pass the remainder of Indianapolis Works, the local government consolidation proposal that would save $22 million in property taxes, improve services and cut the number of taxing units permanently.
The Mayor has called for these efforts since 2004, but the State legislature has failed to pass them for three consecutive years. The remainder of Indianapolis Works includes:
- Consolidating Fire Services. This year, several township trustees were set to raise their fire taxes by double digits, including Decatur Township (49% increase), Wayne (40%) and Franklin (32%) and Pike (10%). The merger of the Washington Township Fire Department with the Indianapolis Fire Department is on track to save millions of dollars for property taxpayers.
- Eliminating Township Assessors. The plan would eliminate the nine township assessors, place all tax assessing functions under the county assessor, and create a single, uniform and timely system of assessment in Marion County.
- Streamlining Township Trustees, which would eliminate the positions and the taxing authority of seven township trustees and their seven-member boards.
- Streamlining Small Claims Courts. Townships would continue to elect the small claims judges and court constables, but place the administration of their courts in the Marion County Court system and have their budgets approved by the City-County Council.
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