Ethics Committee Tables Prop 28 With Intention of More Comprehensive Proposal To Come

The Ethics Committee of the City- County Council did indeed meeting this past Thursday to consider Councillor Mahern's Prop 28, which would require full disclosure by Council members when they or their family members received gifts, including tickets to sporting events provided by the CIB.  The meeting took less than 5 minutes to complete.

Councillor Mahern requested that this proposal be struck, with the intention that he would introduce a similar proposal that would include other elected City officials, including the Mayor.  The Committee tabled Prop 28 indefinitely, which has a similar effect as striking the proposal - it is dead.

Here is the clip of Mahern's testimony before the committee (in attendance were Councillors Robinson, Hickman, Simpson, Evans, and Shreve - so this committee continues to be in flux).

"Ethics" Committee Meets Tonight - One Agenda Item - Disclosure of Free Tickets to Sporting Events

Two Council committees will meet tonight, both beginning at 5:30 pm.  Public Works will get the big room and the live WCTY feed.  So, we'll have to wait for tomorrow's posting online and subsequent airings to see what the "Ethics" Committee does with Prop 28, which "amends the Code concerning ethics disclosure to ensure more transparency with respect to gifts provided to Councillors and their families".

This proposal was heard by the committee on Valentine's Day and can be viewed in the WCTY archives.  Only 4 of the 6 members showed up to discuss more disclosure to the public.  This is the minimum needed for a quorum.  There was much wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth, but no vote on the proposal.  The list online shows the committee to be chaired by Councillor Robinson, with other members being Simpson, Miller, Shreve (took over for Freeman who is still listed) - the 4 present.  Missing were Brown and Cain.

Councillor Simpson ended the meeting saying to the proposal's author, Councillor Mahern, "Let's really work on this", and "Good work, Brian".  The proposal was continued to the next meeting of the committee, which was to be March 14.

The is notice of a March 14, 2013, meeting of this committee, but no minutes or WCTY video are posted.  Prop 28 was the sole item on that agenda, as well.  An email exchange with SaRita Puckett, Ethics committee secretary, clarified that there was, in fact, no meeting held that date.

This proposal is pretty darned simple - on top of existing reporting requirements for gifts, it would also require that Councillors disclose receipt of gifts from Municipal Corporations (like the CIB).  It would require that dollar amounts be estimated for the value of gifts received.  And, it would require that gifts made to Councillors' spouses and dependant children be disclosed.  Not all gifts require disclosure in the current or proposed Code on ethics - only those valued at more than $100 for one gift, or an aggregate value of more than $250 in a calendar year.  So, a cup of coffee shouldn't tip anyone's scale.

But tickets to sporting events would definitely tip the scales.

Tonight we shall see if this Council would rather be open and above board in disclosing what tickets to what sporting events they and their family are treated to, or if they'd rather keep the public in the dark and guessing.  This committee will not bring forward a proposal that would embarrass the full Council by forcing a vote to strengthen the public's right to know, when that vote would be a very public and very accountable 'no'.  We shall see if Councillor Simpson and the rest of the "Ethics" committee really want to make this proposal the best it can be - or if they want to bury it.

Council Meets Tonight - Hold Onto Your Wallets

The City-County Council meets tonight.  Increasing your taxes and siphoning off property taxes from known future development to pay for corporate tax handouts instead of cops, are on the agenda.

The Council will vote on raising the local car rental tax from 4 to 6% (Prop 24) and raising ticket tax from 6 to 10% (Prop 23).  They will also vote on Prop 448, which puts back the nearly $32 million Mayor Vaughn slashed from County Office 2013 budgets; a move that made no fiscal sense, just created blackmail fodder.  These are all to have public hearings, as they are fiscal ordinances.

Prop 291, the Mid-North TIF, will be voted on as well, but no public hearing is to be held.  This plan specifically removes property taxes derived from the taxpayer-funded Broad Ripple parking garage from common good uses, like paying for public safety in places like Broad Ripple, to paying for public art near Broad Ripples innumerable bars and park upgrades to Tarkington Park.  Developer driven tax handouts are anticipated within the 1 square mile of the TIF district as well.  If things go well, Mapleton-Fall Creek, an actual area of need, just may get a project financed with TIF dollars.

Among the Proposals being introduced tonight is Prop 33, sponsored by Councillors Talley and Robinson, which directs DPW to use $3 million of its 2013 RebuildIndy funds for Avondale-Meadows infrastructure improvements.  This proposal is being offered to substitute for the expansion of the Fall Creek Place TIF which proponents hoped to use to attract a grocery store.  These proponents now suggest more investments of TIF dollars were also hoped for, once the grocery was in place and the TIF fund grew.   I do not know what those projects were expected to be or if they simply expected to spend any and all TIF dollars that amassed beyond the initials needs.

Also likely making an appearance is newly selected Councillor Jefferson Shreve, whose residency qualifications for that office were called into question over the weekend.  Selected Saturday morning, questions arise, trail of documents unearthed by Saturday afternoon.  Somewhere in that time, they GOP hastily swore Shreve in.  You can read all about it on the Advance Indiana and Ogden On Politics blogs.

Great Digging, Gary Welsh !

Gary Welsh, author of Advance Indiana, has once again scooped mainstream media.  This time his digging uncovered a residency issue for newly selected City-County Councillor, Jefferson Shreve.

Seems the breadcrumbs lead to Bloomington, and not so much to Indianapolis.  There is a record of Shreve's Marion County voter registration in October 2011, but no other links beyond rental property owned in Perry Township.  Meanwhile Shreve holds numerous board seats in Bloomington, some of which say he is a Bloomington resident.

But, read it for yourself - great work Gary !  "Marion Co. GOP Imports Bloomington Resident To Fill Cardwell's Council Seat"

This also illuminates the reason behind Indiana Senator Mike Young's SB621 inclusion of a reduced residency (from 2 years to 1) for Councillors and (from 5 years to 2) for Mayors to take their seats if elected or selected.

Over at Ogden On Politics, Paul Ogden ("Does the Newest Indianapolis Council Member Satisfy the Two Year Residency Requirement?") brings up the question of homestead credit, and in which City is Shreve claiming one?  Monday morning should be interesting for public document requests at City Hall.

It is certain that this mess needs to be completely cleared up before Jefferson Shreve is sworn in as Councillor Shreve and votes to increase two of our (real Indy residents) taxes and increase our TIFs by yet another square mile tomorrow night.  The Council has had a shaky record of following its own rules this past year.  This one should not be let to slide - its too important.