Indiana

NEWS FROM AROUND TOWN

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

There were quite a few things happening around town this afternoon.  Here they are…

The Concerned Clergy, a small group of Black pastors, plan to protest Thursday’s Public Safety Committee meeting over handing control of the police department from Sheriff Frank Anderson to Mayor Greg Ballard.  According to my sources, the group won’t protest under the guise of power being taken away from the Black Sheriff (because they read my blog and realized Anderson has endorsed the very white Kerry Forestal) but instead will try to argue that the city is trying to engage in discrimination and limit the hiring  and promotion of Black officers by trying to get out of a consent decree on past racial hiring practices.

My sources tell me State Senator Jim Merritt’s local government reform plan may be awaiting a death sentence in the House of Representatives.  Apparently some lawmakers are more concerned about protecting the township  trustees than the taxpayers’ hard-earned money.

Marion County Clerk Beth White has unveiled plans on how the March 11 special election to fill the vacancy left by the late Julia Carson will work.  White says there will be about 300 polling locations.  She says she has about half of the 445 inspectors that she needs.  Mayor Greg Ballard told me this afternoon that he plans to give city employees the day off if they agree to work the polls.

And speaking of Mayors, the Mayor named two more appointments today.  Nick Weber, former aide to Senator Dick Lugar is taking over as the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development.  Weber says his focus will be on workforce development as well as bringing new employers to the city.  The Mayor also named former Marion County Clerk of the Courts Sarah Taylor as the head of Constituent Services.  She says she wants to improve the response time on the Mayor’s Action call line.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on January 28, 2008 (boomark / email).