@mirrorindy @indydocumenters It's a big crowd of sign wavers at tonight's budget extravaganza. It's a little like the Buffalo Springfield song, "For What It's Worth," in which Stephen Stills sings that that crowd is "singin' songs and carryin signs, mostly say hoo-ray for our side."

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters We have urban forester advocates, parks advocates, signs that counsel "budgets for the people, not the rich," although the rich seem to be people.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters And of course, we have people decrying violence in the Middle East, mostly by Israel. Several keffiyehs, but so far no Stars of David.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters It seems important to them that the Indianapolis City-County Council pass a cease-fire resolution, even though Gaza is 6,223 miles from the City County Building.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Deputies with the Marion County Sheriff's Office are also here, resplendent in olive green uniforms with coordinating black tactical vests and boots.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Council President Vop Osili called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Before diving into budget items, the council made several appointments.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Reappointed Wendy Tucker to the Early Intervention Planning Council Committee.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Reappointed Brandon Fishburn to the Woodruff Place Economic Improvement District Board.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Confirmed the Marion County Public Defender Board's nomination of Raymond Casanova as the Marion County Chief Public Defender.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The Marion County Local Income Tax Council proposed that the City-County Council:

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters 1) modify the local income tax rate, 2) modify the allocation of the previously imposed expenditure rate 3) determine how the revenue from the property tax relief rate shall be applied to provide property tax credits in subsequent years.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee proposed the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County to add a new Division 9 pertaining to illegal street activity.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters It's in response to people spinning cars in local parking lots, and the activity spilling onto the street.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters When IMPD officers show up, it has been alleged that the officers are accosted and abused. That being the case, the city is cracking down on the practice.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The council considered tax rates for: Police Special Service District, Fire Special Service District, Solid Waste Collection.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Then public comments began.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters One woman praised the council for paying for more urban forests, but said we could do more. "If we can buy a soccer stadium, we can buy forests!" she said.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters That guy is multitasking by advocating for Palestine and trees.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters "Once our forests are handed into the hands of the developers, it's too late! The time is now!" said an advocate for more urban forests. It's a matter to preserve habitat for humans and wildlife, she said.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Cecilia passionately said the city is spending $12.5 million on Israel. She also said IMPD will get 40 percent of the budget.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Bridgette said 2 percent of the budget could house Indy's more-than 1,000 homeless people.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Bridgette also called out the Mayor Hogsett administration for its alleged disregard for women's welfare, something she said is reflected in the budget.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Just for perspective, the city's proposed 2025 $1.65 billion.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The arts need more money, many said.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Noah said the budget defunds working people, but increases funds for IMPD. The budget funds "our killers and deepens repression."

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Answer Indiana speakers claimed the budget supports an apartheid regime.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Brian Sellers congratulated the council for stopping a warehouse and preserve an urban forest, some of which is on his property. "That forest was here before the city," he said.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Brian thanked the council, especially his councilor Dan Boots, for spending $6 million on urban forest. His 10 year old daughter is with him. Future generations will only benefit by preserving forests.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Forests should not be supplanted by concrete, including things like strip malls that will be around for a few decades. Forests are forever.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Barb Smith asked the council to appropriate more money for preserving and expanding urban forests.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Riley Park had three demands: Fund the citizens and not IMPD, Mayor Hogsett should resign, the city should divest its businesses with Israel.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Most of the urban forest advocates rallied to speak on behalf of the Indiana Forest Alliance.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters A local minister exhorted the council to preserve trees as part of God's creation.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The Indiana Forest Alliance praised the city for its initial steps in forest preservation.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters 65 percent of Indy residents do not live within a 10 minute walk of a local park. The IFA has identified three forests that, they say, the city could purchase at, or below market value.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Upon further review, the city has earmarked $1 million for forest acquisition, not the $6 million I previously tweeted. The Indiana Forest Alliance is asking for $6 million, money it said could buy at least four parcels of urban forest.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The council was encouraged by CURV, Congregations United to Reduce Violence, to continue funding gun reduction programs. Indy's murder rate and violent crime rate are down in the last few years.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Average cities Indy's size boast 15 percent of their overall size to parks. Indy's parks cover 5 percent.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters "Developers (who clear forest to construction warehouses and apartment buildings) are morally bankrupt," said one urban forest advocate.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters When they finally ran out of public commenters, the council got down to the business of passing agency budgets.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Some of those budgets go like this:

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Indianapolis International Airport: $534,262,000 Capital Improvement Total Budget: $235 million. Health and Hospital: $599 million Public Library District: $85.9 million IndyGo (Public Transportation): $412,069,025

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The council approved spending $1.2 million on debt service for the new animal shelter. A woman spoke passionately on behalf of spaying and neutering animals, efforts to curtail dog fighting and backyard breeding.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Animal safety has received increasing attention, especially backyard breeders dumping and abandoning animals. mirrorindy.org/indy-group-urg…

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The council approved 16 Tech Community Corporation to install, construct, maintain, repair, and operate underground fiber infrastructure

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The council considered approving itself and other elected officials a raise, a raise councilors have not had for the last 15 years.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The council voted 18-6 to approve it.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Currently, councilors are paid $31,075 a year.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Joshua Bain introduced proposal 306 to fully fund the capital improvements.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Councilor Jesse Brown pointed out that the council put $6 million into purchasing urban forest lands in 2025, adding that Mayor Hogsett arbitrarily cut it to $1 million.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Councilor Jared Evans said people are "fed up," with quality of life issues being short changed compared to other things like building soccer stadium.

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Evans said $1 million is not enough, nor is the $6 million the council earmarked. "We should be spending much more to preserve our city for future generations," he said

@mirrorindy @indydocumenters And with that, Councilor Brian Mowrey asked for a moment of tribute to Judy Ann Doan and Alan Gosnell, Council President Vop Osili adjourned the meeting.