WHO’S LAUGHING NOW?
I’m composing a list of winners and losers as a result of this session’s property tax reform for this weekend. In addition to the obvious ones (i.e. the property taxpayers and even more so the protesters), but also Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard.
Ballard asked lawmakers to pick up the tab for those pre-1977 police pension debt (at a cost to the city of $25 million a year) and they took it. In addition, Ballard can also use the Local Option income tax to further reduce property taxes on residents. I’d like to see it eliminated, but this is the next best thing.
A lot of people in this town laughed at Ballard for asking for the pension relief. Well, who’s laughing now?
