Why one councilor voted ‘no’ on 2023 Indianapolis government budget

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis-Marion County Metropolis-County Council had just one “no” vote for town authorities’s 2023 price range.

Councilor Ethan Evans cited homelessness and pedestrian security as two key points when deciding. “Whereas I’m supportive of a majority of issues we’re doing and are planning with town and county I might be a ‘no’ vote tonight as effectively on the rest of the price range,” he mentioned Monday evening.

Evans gave a press release to Information 8 on the day after the vote.

“As regards to the pedestrian security difficulty after talking with pedestrian and biking activists within the metropolis this yr and looking out on the numbers on hit-and-run fatalities and numbers generally we must be making coverage selections for public works to make security a precedence. I’m glad we handed the Full Streets Ordinance however we have to do issues sooner. We have to put up everlasting bollards and ensure each avenue and thoroughfare has a multimodal path so pedestrians usually are not on the road and in a position to be hit as we’ve got seen a number of instances this yr with bus stops on the facet of the street.”

Councilor Ethan Evans, a Democrat who serves Metropolis-County Council District 4

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Evans mentioned at Monday evening’s council assembly, “We have to guarantee we’ve got pedestrian security all through town in order that we don’t have the close to numbers that we’re seeing this yr of unsafe incidents.”

The price range consists of funding for town’s first site visitors engineer to assist handle these unsafe roads. Town is also investing $1.1 billion in infrastructure over the following 5 years.

Street security advocates says federal funds may be tapped into to hurry up the method.

Connie Szabo Schmucker, advocacy director on the Bicycle Storage Indy, mentioned, “There’s a new program referred to as Secure Streets and Roads for All that has $6 billion over the following 5 years that Indianapolis is eligible to use for, and it’s particularly to deal with bicycle and pedestrian security.”

Schmucker suggests retiming lights to permit pedestrians time to cross earlier than any vehicles go, and different options that require time and funding, reminiscent of including extra bike lanes, sidewalks, and bollards to dam site visitors.

“Slowing the pace limits down, redesigning the street in order that the popular technique in utilizing the street,” Schmucker mentioned. “Having extra in neighborhood roads, having cease indicators, or narrowing the lanes, or placing timber nearer to the roadways.”

Evans additionally cites reasonably priced housing as a problem not addressed sufficient within the 2023 price range and desires town authorities to work with builders.

“I’m hoping we are able to handle homelessness, we are able to handle the reasonably priced housing disaster that we’re seeing all through town and all through the state,” Evans mentioned Monday evening. “That we are able to work higher with builders within the metropolis in tandem and, for that, I might be voting ‘no’ on the rest.”

The Indianapolis Metropolis-County Council handed the 2023 price range in a 21 to 1 vote. Three councilors have been absent for the vote.