City-County Budget Review - What's Up This Week

City-County Council committees will review several important budgets this week.

Two committees meet tonight at 5:30. The Metropolitan Development committee will meet in room 260 to discus the budget for the Department of Code Enforcement.

In room 118, a far smaller room, will be the meeting place of the Municipal Corporations committee that will consider the budgets for the Library, IndyGo, and the Airport. A few days ago, Jobs for Justice posted a comment on this blog that said they were organizing folks to attend the Library budget hearing. Hopefully Councillor Malone will accommodate all members of the public who do attend the meeting. The original schedule for this committee was to hear the budget for Health & Hospitals tonight and the Airport budget on Oct 11, along with the CIB budget. I haven't heard any reason why they were switched.

Two committees also meet tomorrow night. Getting the larger room, 260, is the Rules committee. The budgets for the Civil Taxing Units will be discussed. All action of the Council regarding these budgets for Townships, excluded Cities, etc., are non-binding, but required by state law. This was the budget hearing that saw the largest number of public commenters last year. Along with the budget is the continuing hearings for the sale of the parking meters to ACS, Prop 229. The agenda clearly says "Informational purposes only. Final action is not expected at this time." Prop 227 is also on this agenda, and the digest says "establishes an investigative committee to investigate the City of Indianapolis' public safety leaders' response to matters related to the Bisard incident on August 6, 2010 and in the weeks following". Two other smaller matters are also on tomorrow night's Rules committee agenda.

The Admin & Finance committee will take room 118 tomorrow night at 5:30 pm, to review the budgets for the Information Services Agency, Regional Health & Mental Health Centers, and the Marion County Cooperative Extension Service.

The Public Safety committee was going to review the IMPD and IFD budgets on Wednesday night. Instead, that has been moved to October 8, according to an announcement by chairman Ben Hunter. The committee has a full agenda, nonetheless. Beginning at 5:30 pm, Prop 224 will be discussed. It would change the way Drug Free Marion County gets approval to spend its money. Prop 254 considers the consolidation of the Lawrence Fire Department with IFD. Prop 255 would impose some new 'integrity' reforms on IMPD. Prop 256 would establish a bipartisan committee to "investigate the internal procedures of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, to hold public hearings and take public input, to seek input from officers, and to report to the mayor findings and recommendations about improvements". Two other proposals are also on the agenda.

On Thursday, at 5:30 pm in room 260, the Public Works committee will review the DPW budget. Seven small proposals will also be considered.