Latest news with #Hogsett
Axios
2 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Hogsett to introduce budget proposal without tax increases
The City of Indianapolis' budget will grow next year — just not as much as leaders expected before the legislative session. The big picture: Mayor Joe Hogsett will introduce his budget proposal to the City-County Council tonight, and it's expected to include small cuts for most departments, outside of public safety. Catch up quick: Lawmakers passed a property tax overhaul earlier this year that dramatically cut how much cities bring in from that major source of revenue for Indy. The city could raise local income taxes to make up the gap, but Hogsett has said from the outset that he's "not interested" in raising taxes. What they're saying: Dan Parker, Hogsett's chief of staff, told Axios the mayor will introduce a balanced budget with no tax increases. The budget will grow, Parker said, but departments were asked to look for savings so the city could meet the obligations of labor agreements made last year — before the property tax changes. The city will also start "laying the foundation" to capture the $50 million in road funding that lawmakers paved the way for in 2027, so long as the city can match it, Parker said. The other side: Minority Leader Michael-Paul Hart said he'll advocate to protect the council budget from any cuts. The council budget is $3.5 million — a drop in the bucket of the city's $1.5 billion annual budget. In his blog, Hart said that while the city "still faces serious decisions about how to balance its books," the council is committed to passing a balanced budget. Reality check: Despite opposition from the Republican caucus and three Democrats last year, Hogsett passed the budget he wanted — with new investments in pedestrian safety and raises for city employees. Yes, but: Tension between Hogsett and the council has only grown since then as the investigation into his handling of sexual harassment allegations against his former deputy, Thomas Cook, uncovered text messages between Hogsett and several young women that some councilors have called inappropriate. Hogsett told Axios he developed a "casual, conversational" style of communicating with those he worked closely with but did not mean to make anyone uncomfortable. At least four councilors have called for Hogsett's resignation — something he's firmly resisted — which could complicate budget negotiations.
Indianapolis Star
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Hogsett defends Indy's crime-fighting record after Braun hints at state intervention
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett is defending the city's response to gun violence after Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said state lawmakers should be considering ways they might intervene in local policing. The back-and-forth between the two executives in the state's capital follows a mass shooting downtown after a Fourth of July celebration and a spate of homicides this month — during a year in which homicides and shootings nonetheless remain down from 2024, according to police. "I respect Gov. Braun's concern, but he's not on the ground in Indianapolis," Hogsett said in a written statement Wednesday morning. "While we are saddened by the incidents that have taken place over the last few weekends, the facts are irrefutable: violence has been on the decline for the last three years. Our gun violence reduction strategy is saving lives." Braun's comments Monday that "something needs to change" in Indianapolis came in response to a plea from the head of the city's police union, Fraternal Order of Police President Rick Snyder, for state leaders to somehow step in. The Indianapolis City-County Council is considering a stricter youth curfew and punitive fines for parents whose kids violate curfew, but critics like Snyder doubt it will deter violent crime. Braun and Senate Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, both mentioned the same issue in statements to IndyStar: Indianapolis and Marion County are independent jurisdictions governed by lawfully elected officials, and it's unclear what power state lawmakers have to impose their will. Snyder suggested the possibility of "a recall option for elected officials, if nothing else for the Prosecutor and Judges at a minimum" in a recent Indianapolis Business Journal column. He has not responded to IndyStar's requests for him to discuss what other ideas he would recommend to state leaders. Braun has responded to Indiana Republicans' concerns about prosecutors whom they perceive to be too lenient, particularly Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, by backing a new law creating a state review board to target "noncompliant prosecutors." Speaking Monday, Braun challenged Indianapolis residents to "put different people in charge" and said the state capital seemed safer a decade ago under Republican Mayor Greg Ballard's leadership. While homicides were lower during Ballard's tenure, they were still climbing. The city broke a record during his second term: 144 criminal homicides in 2015, the most since 1998. That number steadily rose until 2021, when violent crime spiked nationwide and the city saw a historic 249 criminal homicides. The annual numbers have fallen since then. So far this year, Indianapolis police have reported 84 criminal homicides. That figure is 27% lower than this time last year, according to IMPD data shared with IndyStar. Hogsett said his administration continues to push for full staffing of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, adding that IMPD is still suffering from a yearslong hiring freeze that Ballard instituted. After surpassing 1,700 officers in 2019, IMPD's ranks had dwindled to about 1,460 toward the end of last year — about 300 officers below the budgeted amount. The mayor has also created an office, the Office of Public Health and Safety, to intervene in violence in the city's neighborhoods and to fund grassroots groups who work with at-risk youth.
Axios
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Infighting, drama weigh on City-County Council as budget looms
The Indianapolis City-County Council is in turmoil as it approaches a critical point in the calendar. Why it matters: The city is about to enter its budget-writing season — important work that affects everyone who lives and works in Indianapolis that could be made more difficult or overshadowed by infighting and continued allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior. The latest: Councilor Keith Graves has stepped down as the chair of the Education Committee amid allegations of physical and sexual assault in new reporting from IndyStar. He has denied the allegations. Catch up quick: Graves is the latest in a string of city leaders to be accused of inappropriate conduct. Concerns about Mayor Joe Hogsett 's texting behavior with some staffers emerged during the investigation of sexual harassment allegations against his former deputy, Thomas Cook. An investigation by an outside firm uncovered a "professionally inappropriate" workplace culture inside the City-County building. State of play: Last week, Councilor Crista Carlino announced she was leaving the council's Democratic caucus after weeks of tension and internal conflict. Carlino is one of four councilors who have called on Hogsett to resign. She was also one of four council members who supported Councilor Jesse Brown's failed effort last week to oust council President Vop Osili and Vice President Ali Brown from their leadership positions following a dramatic meeting last month in which Lauren Roberts, one of Cook's accusers, was forcibly removed for going over the public-comment time limit. The intrigue: No council Republican has called for Hogsett to resign.
Indianapolis Star
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
The Hogsett-must-resign case is weak
The case against Mayor Joe Hogsett is devolving into factional grousing among people who want a different mayor but don't know how to accomplish that through the course of regular politics. Hogsett is no doubt worthy of condemnation. A year of sexual harassment investigations, in which I have played a role, revealed Hogsett infused his campaigns and administration with a toxic culture. Staffers were subject to harassment while working under his authority. Hogsett had opportunities to fix it and prevent further harm. He failed. Women who experienced trauma while working under Hogsett are justified to continue pushing for accountability. The City-County Council's forcible removal of Lauren Roberts on June 9 is a stomach-turning illustration of what it's like for women to tell their stories. Roberts deserved the opportunity to address the council with dignity. Instead, she was treated like an intruder. The ongoing spectacle has emboldened Hogsett's preexisting enemies to shoot their shot at a weakened mayor. Four City-County Council members and many other notable community voices, including the Indianapolis Business Journal, have called on Hogsett to resign. I'm willing to listen to those arguments. So far, though, they have been underwhelming. Democrat Crista Carlino delivered the most explosive call for Hogsett's resignation during a June 17 committee meeting. She didn't stop at Hogsett. She also called for Council President Vop Osili and Vice President Ali Brown to step down, alleging they delivered unspecified "marching orders" to Fisher Phillips, the Chicago law firm that investigated the Hogsett administration on behalf of the council. The Fisher Phillips report did leave out details that should have been considered relevant. But Carlino chaired the council committee that led the investigation. She did not express concerns about a cover-up at any point during that process or immediately after the law firm issued its report. People who want to speak truth to power need to bring … well, truth. Carlino later acknowledged she had "no claim or proof" that council leadership "personally and directly impacted the investigation." That's something you might want to have before publicly alleging a conspiracy to protect the mayor. Andy Nielsen, a council Democrat who did speak up immediately after seeing the Fisher Phillips report, has called on Hogsett to resign because he has demonstrated "a profound lack of judgement and disregard for fundamental ethics." Opinion: Why won't Republicans call on Joe Hogsett to resign? While that may be true, the leap from "lack of judgment" to "resign now" relies more on vibes than logic. No one calling on Hogsett to resign has presented a convincing argument that he violated an objective standard of conduct in ways that should trigger immediate removal from office — nor have they even attempted to explain how this standard could be equally applied to all other office-holders. They just want Hogsett gone. It's easy to nod along. We know Hogsett presided over organizations permitting rampant sexual harassment and abusive behavior. We know Hogsett sent text messages that veered into inappropriate levels of intimacy with young women who worked for him. But there's also a lot of gray there as it pertains to the mayor himself. Based on what we know 100% to be true today, Hogsett has not even been accused of behavior that would typically force an elected official out of office. That lack of evidence is forcing Hogsett's longtime critics, who have always struggled to prosecute a case against him, to overreach in hopes that the bad vibes will be enough to push him out. Consider the IBJ's editorial calling for Hogsett's resignation. The IBJ wants Hogsett out because he skipped a press conference for a homelessness initiative amid his swirling controversy and because the "Hogsett administration has never been able to articulate a clear strategy for the city, a message or a plan through which business and community leaders could rally." Well, former Gov. Mike Pence wasn't exactly a sought-after guest for ribbon cuttings during his RFRA era. Yet, he was as unmoved by the ensuing "Pence Must Go" yard signs as Hogsett is by calls for him to step down. As for a lack of vision, that judgment is reserved for the Marion County voters who have overwhelmingly elected Hogsett three times. Whatever you think of Hogsett, no one — not Republicans and not competing Democratic factions — has mounted effective opposition based on an alternative vision for Indianapolis. Briggs: Hogsett's texts to women show Indianapolis mayor embodied toxic culture Republicans have forgotten how to talk to people who enjoy living in Indianapolis since the days when former Mayor Greg Ballard championed bus rapid transit, electric car sharing and urban trails. Jefferson Shreve's dour $14.4 million all-crime-all-the-time campaign in 2023 showed just how far out of touch Republicans have fallen. Meanwhile, Democrats on Hogsett's left have failed to grapple with the mayor's enduring popularity among people who aren't constantly online. Political frustrations are likely fueling the Hogsett-must-go bandwagon. A lot of people want Hogsett out of office, but no one has been able, or willing, to directly challenge him. It's curious that a chronically inept executive, or so the criticism goes, wields such prohibitive power. The calls for Hogsett's resignation amount to a wish that he would just go away — and that he could be replaced through a Democratic Party caucus vote instead of a more difficult countywide election. Hogsett is not going away. There's a stronger chance that Hogsett runs for reelection — and wins — in 2027 than resigns before the end of his third term. While the City-County Council turns itself into a sideshow and the mayor's opponents make futile calls for him to self-deport, Hogsett is raising money and no doubt looking on like Logan Roy in "Succession," thinking, "You are not serious people." Anyone who wants a different future for Indianapolis needs to start thinking less about Hogsett's past sins and more about how to either defeat him or win a mayoral campaign without him. IndyStar's Hayleigh Colombo recently wrote about the shadow campaign underway for 2027. The most striking thing to me about the article was that the strongest mayoral contenders are moving tepidly, afraid to go all in. Osili, who has been preparing for years to run for mayor, is dealing with the aftermath of removing Roberts from the council chamber. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears says he's running for reelection to his current job in 2026. State Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, also plans to run for reelection in 2026. Opinion: I was dragged out by sheriff's deputies. Indiana Democrats stayed silent. Hogsett, awash in scandal and having pledged not to run in 2027, is the only person who appears prepared to run. Every person complaining about Hogsett's lack of leadership needs to hold up a mirror. Who in Indianapolis is demonstrating strong political leadership right now? Hogsett is a deeply flawed person whose mistakes have harmed people. That's a good reason to want him out of office. But it's not going to happen through wishing him away or cathartic calls for resignation. It's going to happen when someone mounts a viable campaign anchored in a compelling new vision for the future.
Indianapolis Star
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Council Democrat gets kicked out of caucus after criticizing leaders. She's now apologizing
The Indianapolis City-County Council's Democratic caucus ousted one of its own members June 24 in the wake of fallout from an investigation into Mayor Joe Hogsett's administration's handling of sexual harassment claims. Crista Carlino, who recently called for Hogsett, Council President Vop Osili and Ali Brown to resign and implied Osili limited the scope of the investigation, was removed after a vote of a majority of her colleagues, according to two council members who told IndyStar about the meeting. Less than 24 hours after the ouster, Carlino apologized for "any undue stress and disappointment my actions caused" the Democratic caucus. The move represents a major fracture in the party. However, it's possible she's reinstated due to her apology. Carlino also stated that she had "no claim or proof" that council leadership "personally and directly impacted the investigation" into Hogsett's former chief of staff Thomas Cook. Last week, Carlino implied council leaders gave "marching orders" to the outside law firm, Fisher Phillips, that conducted the investigation into the Hogsett administration. Both Osili and Brown have vehemently denied those charges. More: Woman accusing Hogsett aide of sexual harassment dragged out of Indianapolis council meeting "I apologize for the extreme accountability I called for in such a public way, without you there to discuss or defend your leadership and actions," Carlino said in the statement, where she also said she was stepping away from her committee chair roles, including leading the investigative committee that launched the probe. "We are at an impasse. Deflection and false accusations have become the rhetoric," Carlino's statement continued. "This is not who we are. My colleagues on the council have lost faith in my leadership and are placing blame on me, and I accept that." Democratic council member Ron Gibson, an ally of the mayor who recently defended Hogsett's late-night and personal texts to young women about topics including poetry, told IndyStar that Carlino was given an "opportunity to issue a public apology because of her untruthful statements about the investigation" before removing her from the caucus. "If she is willing to be fully transparent in a public statement, then we will vote to reinstate her," Gibson said. He reiterated that she could be added back to the caucus later Wednesday after Carlino released her apology statement. "More than likely, we vote to reinstate her," Gibson told IndyStar. Carlino also said in the statement that when she called for the resignations "I did so because I felt it was the right thing to do in my heart at the time." Carlino became the second member of the Democratic caucus to be removed recently; they previously voted to oust Democratic socialist Jesse Brown last year after a dispute over support of charter schools. Brown was the first member of the council to call for Hogsett's resignation. The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis and Baptist Ministers Alliance released a statement condemning Carlino's ouster and accusing Democrats of a "political power play." "This is not the leadership our city needs," the groups said. "We will not sit quietly while those who speak up for justice are pushed out by those who bankroll the status quo."
