Are Women On the Council An Endangered Species?

Paul Ogden has posted his predictions for the coming elections - for both Mayor and Council. Let me mention up front as a disclaimer - I am a candidate for one of the 4 At-Large positions on the Democratic side.

I am not good at making predictions, so I'll leave that arena to Paul and others. But, I can count.

Currently there are 12 women who hold Council seats. Six are D's and six are R's. There are 25 district seats and 4 At-Large seats.

Not running again are Jackie Nytes and Doris Minton-McNeil, both D's. Men only, have signed up to run for those seats.

Ogden is predicting that Barb Malone (R) will not win her re-election bid.

Of the 5 most vulnerable district seats, according to Odgen's analysis, 4 are held by women (Janice McHenry, Marilyn Pfisterer, Susie Day, and Christine Scales). Mike McQuillen, who currently occupies the most vulnerable district seat, does have a woman opponent in Regina Marsh.

Unless the two parties put forth a huge effort in recruiting and backing viable women candidates, it is possible that the new Council could have as few as 5 or 6 women in it. This would be an especially poor result in an historic year where we elect Melina Kennedy as our first woman Mayor for the City of Indianapolis.

No-So and Library Funding on Committee Agendas This Week

There are a goodly number of City-County Council committee meetings this week - click here for list and links to individual public notices. Of particular note are meetings for the Economic Development committee and the Municipal Corporations committee. Neither committee has a regularly scheduled meeting this week, making both meetings specially called. The full Council meets next Monday, February 7.

The Economic Development committee will meet this Wednesday night, February 2, beginning at 5:30 pm in room 260 of the City-County Building. Prop 292, 2010, which would allow $98 million in bonds to be floated and loaned to the developer of North of South, is the lone item on the agenda. This development could not find any financial institution that was willing to back it. Why the property taxes of the City of Indianapolis are being put at risk is beyond me. (for more details on how horrendously bad this deal is, see previous posts "MDC To Vote On No-So Deal Today", and "North of South - Details of the Proposed Deal")

On Thursday night, February 3, beginning at 5:30 pm in the Public Assembly Room, the Municipal Corporations committee will meet. The sole item on their agenda is Prop 18, 2011. This is a Council resolution urging the General Assembly to enable the use of County Option Income Tax revenues as a source of Library funding.

Three Monday Morning Meetings for Decatur School Board

A public notice has been posted on the MSD Decatur Township website, announcing three meetings Monday morning, January 31.

Beginning at 11 am, the Board will meet as a 'Board of Finance' - no topic or agenda item is mentioned in the notice. This continues the district's policy of letting the public know as little as possible about what the Superintendent and Board are up to.

Immediately following that meeting, the Board will take public testimony on the probationary status of the Gold Academy. The notice states:

In accordance with I.C.20-31-9-2 “The school corporation will hold a public hearing in which public testimony is received concerning the lack of improvement.”

And, finally, the Board will go into executive session to supposedly discuss

In accordance with I.C.5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(9) “To discuss a job performance evaluation of an individual employee.”

We Simply Must Deal With the Violence

Our City reels with the news that Officer David Moore will not recover from injuries he sustained when he pulled a car over for a routine traffic stop on Sunday. Officer Moore, by all accounts exemplified all that is right with IMPD, a great friend, and all round nice person. His generosity of spirit continues with the donation of his organs, so that others might live.

As a City, as a community, we simply must deal with the violence that plagues us. We are 26 days into this new year and already have seen 9 homicides. Officer Moore will be our tenth.

Perhaps Officer Moore can do us one more favor, and serve as the catalyst for turning the tide that besets us.

My condolences to Officer Moore's family, friends, those he protected, and those with whom he served.

Council to Meet Tonight

Tonight's meeting of the City-County Council will take up one piece of the North of South deal and referenda for Franklin Township and Perry Township Schools will be introduced. A new proposal regarding library funding, will also be introduced and voted on tonight. The agenda is posted here.

Prop 247, 2010, would refinance the existing Harding Street TIF bonds, increasing their principle in order to repay an old loan from Eli Lilly that now amounts to about $15 million. This money has been part of the larger North of South deal. If that deal goes forward, Lilly would give the $15 million to the developer.

To be introduced tonight are Prop 14, 2011, and Prop 15, 2011, which are the public questions to be included on the May ballot in Franklin and Perry Townships, respectively. Both public questions would raise taxes for extra operating funds for the school districts. Franklin Township's taxes would rise by $0.75 for each $100 of assessed value. Perry Township's taxes would rise by $0.3078 for each $100 of assessed value. Both would have to be approved by the respective electorate in May, and both would last for the next 7 years.

Perry Township school district was also talking about a referendum on new building projects. I do not know if that has been dropped, delayed, or will be introduced at the next Council meeting.

To be both introduced and voted on tonight, is Prop 18, 2011. This proposal is a Council resolution, that "urges the General Assembly to permit the City-County Council to use County Option Income Tax revenues to fund the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library".

Decatur Township Schools Looking for New CFO

Well, once again, alert posters on this blog have shed light on what is happening in the MSD Decatur Township administration building.

Now posted on the district's website, is a job listing for Chief Financial Officer. The job is to be posted from January 21 through January 31. Robert Harris is still listed as the district's CFO on the site. The School Board held it's regular meeting on January 11 and a work session on January 13. Posters to this blog inquired after the business manager beginning on January 12.

Good job, alert poster !

Chicagoan Gets Ticket While Feeding Meter

This one is from January 3, 2011, but I just ran across it. While NBC Chicago was interviewing a man about the recent increase in meter rates to $5.00 per hour, he was ticketed. Interesting interview, to say the least.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/traffic/transit/Man_Gets_Ticket_While_Paying_for_Parking_Chicago-112827249.html

I'd embed the video, but the station's website doesn't seem to allow it.

Reviewing a few comments on this and other Chicago stories, it seems that the parking meters are now known as "Daley boxes" and feeding them money is known as the "Daley grind". "Ballard boxes" would certainly work down here in Indy. Any further suggestions?