INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis City-County Council will hold a final public hearing on the 2027 budget during its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 5.
Members of the public will be able to comment on the nearly $1.9 billion budget proposed by Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. inside the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building at 200 E. Washington St.
The council will then take a final vote on Oct. 19.
The mayor’s office says, if approved, this would be the city’s tenth consecutively balanced budget.
Nearly $400 million, almost 25% of the budget, is earmarked for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. A council committee voted 11-1 on Sept. 30 to advance the IMPD spending plan.
Democratic Councilor Jesse Brown called for committee members to vote against the the 11.5% increase in IMPD funding, arguing it needed greater justification. “This isn’t an anti-police thing. It’s a government transparency and accountability thing,” Brown said.
The proposal also calls for an additional $100 million investment in transportation infrastructure.
Marion County Community Corrections has requested an additional $1.5 million to cover the cost of ankle monitors and drug testing for people under its supervision. Those fees are currently covered by people in Community Corrections programs.
“Supporters say the fees create another barrier for people trying to get back to work and rebuild their lives,” Republican Councilor Michael-Paul Hart wrote in his weekly newsletter. “The other question is whether this is where limited public dollars should go when neighborhoods are also asking for things like sidewalks, streetlights and public safety improvements.”
13 of the 25 City Council members will need to approve the budget during the Oct. 19 vote for it to pass.
