Indy Works by doing nothing…
Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson invited a number of us media folks to his office for lunch Thursday to talk about Indy Works. I walked in not expecting to hear anything different, but the Mayor did have some interesting insights. He told us that while there is a more positive atmosphere in the Statehouse this time around when it came to Indy Works, the votes still aren’t there to pass anything and he doubts Indy Works will see the light of day.
As I reported earlier this week at WXNT-AM, the Mayor told us he sat down with seven of the nine township trustees to offer a compromise on Indy Works, he would get the fire departments, the trustees would keep their poor relief and all of them would sit on a board that would develop and craft fire policy. The trustees weren’t having any of that.
If the Mayor wants to get Indy Works, then the best thing he may have to do is absolutely nothing. I have maintained before that a huge property tax increase that is coming next year, anywhere from 9-15 percent by some estimates. If I were Mayor Peterson, I would go about my business managing the city and let the tax increases fall where they may. Subsequently, in every property tax bill I would include the pictures of state lawmakers who did not pass property tax relief. I would also include the slogan, “Less Government = Less Taxes” Support Indy Works.
Of course if I were the GOP, I’d get that tax relief done ASAP.
