Feature
My View: Evidence that Ballard is doing 'big things' 3.15.11
INDIANAPOLIS STAR
In her Feb. 23 column ("Mayor's busy being nice while city's stuck in neutral"), Jennifer Wagner falsely alleged that the city is stuck in neutral and Mayor Greg Ballard is not doing "big things." Evidence to the contrary is abundant. In fact, many of the "big things" Mayor Ballard has accomplished for Indianapolis are solutions to "big problems" he inherited from the previous administration.
On day one, Ballard was notified that the previous administration was projecting a $170 million budget deficit by 2012. Ballard immediately ordered a 5 percent cut from non-public safety budgets, slashed excess bureaucracy, renegotiated contracts and looked for opportunities to do more with less. Because of Ballard's fiscal responsibility, we've had honestly balanced budgets each year and the projected deficit has been eliminated.
Most people remember the role that skyrocketing property taxes played in the election of Ballard. He was one of only a couple of mayors in the state to support property tax cap legislation at the Statehouse. As a result, 98.5 percent of Marion County homeowners are paying less in property taxes today than they did in 2007; the average homeowner is paying a third less.
Ballard's leadership is saving taxpayers $740 million that they would have paid based on the previous administration's deal with the Environmental Protection Agency to fix the long-troubled combined-sewer overflow that was contaminating our rivers and streams. Ballard's team was the first in the nation to successfully renegotiate with the EPA both to save taxpayers money while also improving the environment.
Then there is the political football of the city's water company. The previous administration had cut a deal that put a $900 million debt obligation on the city, projected significant rate increases and decreased services. Ballard's team worked with Citizens Energy Group to develop a solution that will cut the projected rate increases and improve water and wastewater services.
While Wagner indicated she won't give credit for paving streets because every mayor is supposed to do it, the fact is the previous administration's appropriation to infrastructure is dwarfed by Ballard's Rebuild Indy program. Investing $425 million in long-overdue street and sidewalk projects is an unprecedented commitment that will benefit the city for years to come.
Perhaps Wagner and her preferred candidate, Melina Kennedy, deputy mayor in the previous administration, don't view eliminating a projected $170 million budget deficit, saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, lower property taxes, and fixing our streets, sidewalks and infrastructure as "big things," but I believe taxpayers do.
Perhaps she and Kennedy don't view building a new Wishard Hospital, fixing city pools, creating 60 miles of bike lanes and being named "Green City of the Year" as "big things," but I believe the people who care about those issues do.
Mayor Ballard has proven over the last three years that he is not only adept at handling all of the nuts-and-bolts issues that make our city strong, but he also has the vision and courage to bring bold solutions to old problems. With that combined talent and focus, Ballard is indeed moving our city forward -- and we cannot afford to go back.
Walker is the chairman of the Marion County Republican Party.
I’m honored to serve as Mayor of our great city. Every day I work to represent all the citizens of Marion County . . .