WTHR |City's proposed budget weighted toward public safety

City's proposed budget weighted toward public safety

Mary Milz/Eyewitness News

Indianapolis -  On the heels of one of the city's worst killing sprees, Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson unveiled his 2007 budget, pledging to do whatever it takes to stop the violence.

He told the City County Council, "We must stop the upward trend in all types of crime we are seeing this year and we will."

Peterson called for increasing public safety spending by 11 percent or $54 million to pay for more officers and more jail beds. He also told councilors he'll be back with a revised budget to fund even more measures like police overtime and night court.

"We don't know the exact amount we're going to have to raise yet, and we don't know exactly where it's coming from, but in a week or two we will," he said.

While the Parks Department and other agencies will see their budgets decrease by 5 percent, Peterson says his budget includes no layoffs and none of last years cost-cutting measures, like closing city pools early. The mayor also proposed a 3 percent pay raise for city and county employees, the first in three years.

It was Peterson's emphasis on crime that prompted the strongest reaction from councilors.

"I'm glad to see the pledged increase to public safety. That is certainly needed," said Democrat Mary Moriarity Adams.

"I really don't see a long term vision from the Mayor as to how we're going to handle this crime wave," said Republican Scott Schneider.

"Well, I think it's fine. Like everybody else in the room I'm curious as to where a significant amount of the money is going to come from. I'm for it. I think we're all for it. The question is 'how'," said Republican Scott Keller.
    
The Council did take the first step toward renting the needed 200 additional jail beds from a private facility. Mayor Peterson plans to take $1.1 million from the sanitation budget to help pay for them.