Indiana

Budget Preview

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

If Monday night’s Indianapolis City-County Council meeting was any indication, this going to be a long two weeks toward getting a budget done.

Monday was the public hearing so the public got to speak.  Most of them complained about cuts to arts programs.  I can honestly say there were more people there than usual.

The Republicans and Democrats also got to arguing over a $47 million adjustment to the 2008 budget.  They bickered over a proposal that would have funded things like rising fuel and unpaid for raises in the Sheriff’s Department.

Since the ordinance funded multiple-agencies, Democrats complained it should have been broken down into separate ordinances, however Republicans argued it was necessary for efficiency and to provide a more accurate baseline for the 2009 budget.  They also said the measure passed unanimously out of the Administration and Finance Committee.  Although Democrats said the measure set a bad precedent and went against Mayor Greg Ballard’s goal of transparent government.

The meeting lasted nearly four hours.

As the saying goes, there are two things you don’t want to see made, laws and sausage.  The only difference is I can eat the sausage when it’s done.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on September 08, 2008 (boomark / email).