mkna 2011 at-large city-county councilor candidate ......audio/video sensors that can instantly...

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses

Latest Update: 9/22/2011 of 33

Following are the candidate responses to MKNA questions posed to them. Their responses are unedited and limited to approximately 250 words per question. The order of presentation, left to right, is alphabetic by party i.e. Democrat, Libertarian, and Republican. Responses to each question are presented side-by-side for At-Large City-County Councilor candidates with three (3) candidates per page, one from each party in alphabetical order by last name. With twelve (12) candidates, we could not do side-by-side and keep it legible. Some candidates did not respond to some or all of the questions. This is noted in the table. The specific question which each candidate is answering is in the heading on each page. All the questions are listed below so that the reader may see the questions that have been asked of the candidates. The questions are as follows:

1. What are your qualifications for the office which you seek?

2. What is your philosophy for local government? Please cite examples from prior public service where you have implemented this philosophy and what have been the results.

3. What are the priorities for your term if you are elected? Please enunciate both your

philosophical priorities and some specific priorities related to each philosophical tenet.

4. Should the multitude of taxing entities i.e. library, Indygo, etc., within the City of Indianapolis be placed under the Mayor’s/City-County Council’s administration and control? If yes, why? If no, why?

5. What is your position on a “smoking ban” within the City of Indianapolis and what are

the reasons for your position?

6. What is your position on implementation of curb-side recycling in the City of Indianapolis? What are your reasons for this position and if in favor of enhancing recycling how would it be funded?

7. What is your position on public funding via TIFs for various North Midtown

Redevelopment Area initiatives? What is your rationale for this position?

8. What should the Mayor’s role be if control of the six State-identified, failing Indianapolis Public Schools is taken from IPS? What other role should the Mayor play in public education in Indianapolis?

9. Do you anticipate imposing fees and/or raising taxes to cover budget shortfalls? If that

becomes necessary, which fees or taxes might be imposed?

10. What plans or programs do you envision to promote neighborhood cohesiveness and local community involvement to reduce crimes of opportunity such as break-ins,

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses


vandalism to parked cars, and thefts from private property? Please provide specific examples.

11. Would you support using high-tech aids to leverage our police presence such as installing audio/video sensors that can instantly pin-point a gunshot and swivel a high resolution camera to the source of the gunshot such as has been done in San Francisco? In that particular area, after five years there has not been one single police call for gunshots and the area has gone from a wasteland to a high-scale residential area. How would you fund this sort of effort?

12. Mass Transit: a. What is your position on some form of mass transit improvement and in what

form? b. Do you support a referendum to establish the necessary governmental

infrastructure to address this issue? c. Do you support a regional (multi-county) effort and approach to this issue in

particular to the funding and planning? d. How would enhanced mass transit be paid for?

13. What is your position on outsourcing City work versus awarding the work to a local

company? What criteria would you use in these situations?

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What are your qualifications for the office which you seek?


Office: At-Large City-County Councilor (I = Incumbent) Candidate’s Name Party Affiliation

Zach Adamson Democrat

Patrick Culley Libertarian

Jacqueline Cissel Republican

Candidate Responses I believe my experience as a small business owner for the past 13 years and as a community development advocate for 9 years gives me a unique perspective that would be an asset to the city council. I am the founder of the Willard Park Neighborhood. I am a current board member of the Riley Area Development Corporation (RADC) and the vice president of the Near Eastside Community Organization (NESCO) and have served on both boards for nearly 10 years. I am also a graduate of the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center (INRC) Community Building Institute.

The candidate did not respond despite repeated email transmittal of the questionnaire and requests i.e. on 8/03, with follow-up emails on 8/16, 9/06, 9/15, and an extended deadline to 9/21.



John Barth Democrat

Bill Levin Libertarian

Michael Kalscheur Republican

Candidate Responses I have long been committed to and involved in the issues that affect our community and our quality of life. I am a member and past president of the Butler Tarkington Neighborhood Association, and I volunteer as a board member of the Martin Luther King Community Center and Project Home Indy. In my professional work, I have managed large budgets for government programs that provided health care to more than 400,000 low-income children in Indiana (the Hoosier Healthwise Program specifically). I have worked with large budgets during tough times, finding ways to cut administrative costs while protecting needed services. My work includes dealing with citizens who need services as well as legislators and CEOs – and I have been successful at helping diverse groups focus on shared priorities and successfully meet goals.

A heart full of Love and soulful commitment to see that the people of our city do not get screwed over by baggage ridden politicians as they have recently. With a positive attitude and heart full of understanding for the times. I will certainly represent the good people of Indianapolis the way they need to be reped. HONESTLY and WITH PASSION.

For the past 6 years I have been on the Perry Township Advisory Board, a smaller version of the City-County Council, holding both the secretary and president positions. During this time, I have worked on important policy issues facing our township, reviewed multi-year budgets and worked with several trustees and my fellow board members to provide high quality services while keeping tax rates low. For over 20 years, I have worked in the financial services industry, holding several different positions in both individual and institutional areas. Due to the size and scope of Indianapolis’ budget, it is common for non-traditional or enhanced funding vehicles to be employed. These vehicles can be very complicated and confusing, but my background should allow me to assist my fellow councilors in deciphering these options and selecting the ones that are best for the taxpayers of Indianapolis.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What are your qualifications for the office which you seek?



Pamela Hickman Democrat

Sheri Meinert Libertarian

Barbara Malone (I) Republican

Candidate Responses I have been a small business owner since 1990 and before that I was an educator and community activist. I sit on the board of many health services agencies and I see the need for enhanced care for different communities.


I think one qualification is that I am an incumbent who has served on several committees of Council during the last 4 years. I have learned a lot during my tenure. My other qualifications include that I am a native of Indianapolis, a long-time practicing attorney and I have served in a variety of civic and public service jobs: assistant corporation counsel for the City; Indiana Medical Licensing Board; Marion County Bar Association, member of the Women’s Hospital board, Arthritis Foundation board and the Flanner House board.


Leroy Robinson Democrat

Reid Miller Libertarian

Angel Rivera (I) Republican

Candidate Responses Qualifications – Former Chief Bailiff in the Marion County Courts, Former IPS School Board Member - budget of approximately $500 million, career educator and administrator, community volunteer throughout Marion County.


During 18 months of service on the Council I have played an active role in shaping many of the policies that affect our citizens. I have taken a leading role on multiple issue of significant importance including the water deal, the parking deal, the special events ordinance and multiple charter school events. This should be good evidence of my capacity to exercise the duties of this office prudently. I am a business owner, a home owner and an active citizen. For years, my involvement in the political process was limited to helping qualified candidates get elected and suggesting regulatory changes that might help achieve policy goals. In my private sector role, I have helped multiple government agencies (though never a City entity) achieve superior results, reduce costs and improve performance.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What is your philosophy for local government? Please cite examples from prior public service where you have implemented this philosophy and what have been the results.






Candidate Responses I believe that in order for local government to be successful it is essential that our elected officials be plugged in and engaged with the community. Our city also lacks a common long term vision. Who we are as a city and where we are going are important questions that need to be addressed as fellow residents. We need to elect representatives who are not afraid to come down and do the work of building community and consensus for shared improved quality of life. No one person has all the answers, and as a single member of a 29 member body, cooperation and collaboration between the members is essential. Working on the Near Eastside in community development for 9 years has taught me the value of collaboration across cultural lines that so often divide us. Hands on, door to door, human interaction is irreplaceable. Another important philosophy that I believe bears mentioning, is the apparent need to sell, lease or privatize public assets for a quick cash infusion. I am not opposed to public/private partnerships. We live in increasingly unique economic conditions, creative solutions to problems are important. However, I am opposed to multi- generational deals involving public assets that have fractional benefits to the public while creating windfall profits for politically well-connected private companies.






John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses My campaign is focused on one underlying theme – creating stronger neighborhoods. Government must excel at its primary public safety and infrastructure maintenance functions, but our neighborhoods are where the true quality of life is maintained for our city and county. Each neighborhood has its own strengths and attractions, as well as needs. It is the job of local government to have liaisons out in our community to work with and strengthen our neighborhoods so they are safe, inviting and vital. We must help each neighborhood set its own priorities and give neighborhood leaders the training and tools to achieve them. An example of my approach in action comes from my time as neighborhood association president. In that role, I asked all the businesses at 38th and Illinois to prioritize their top need to improve the business environment – universally it was removing the parking meters in front of their shops. After two years of effort and working with a broad group of stakeholders, the meters were removed.

My life philosophy is: LIVE-LOVE-LAUGH-LEARN-CREATE-GROW- TEACH. Based with that I believe in less government in our lives, not more. Hold politicians and police to the same standards as the people. My service to our state is this: I am executive lobbyist for cannabis as Chairman of the Board or Re-legalize Indiana PAC. Re-Legalize Indiana PAC is a non-profit issue advocacy organization dedicated to the repeal of marijuana and hemp prohibition. RLI PAC is registered with the State of Indiana as a Political Action Committee and will be lobbying legislators, citizens and other public interest groups to support our effort to legalize cannabis for medicinal and recreational uses in Indiana.

I go by two basic premises. First is “government is best which governs the least” and “the best government is the closest to the people.” I have always looked for opportunities to push more responsibility down to the local level, where elected officials should be the most responsive to their constituents, because their constituents are their neighbors. For example, when the Indianapolis Fire Department wanted to merge with the Perry Township Fire Department, I had some hard questions. How will this affect our services? How will it affect our tax rate? Will any firemen lose their jobs? I felt that I was not given sufficient answers to these questions, so I voted against it (the vote total was 6-1 for). Obviously, I’m willing to stick to my beliefs even under pressure.







Candidate Responses Local government is the government closest to the people. My philosophy is to provide quality services which include public safety, green space, and a solid infrastructure. I am not an incumbent, my philosophy is yet to be tested, however I believe the hypothesis is sound.


My idealistic philosophy is that government has fundamental core functions that are difficult or nearly impossible to pass on to the governed or for profit corporations, and taxpayers must pay for those core functions. Those functions relate mainly to public safety and welfare of its citizens. Having said that, I think that today government must hold a key position or responsibility in helping its citizens to live in an economically healthy community, which is also safe. Hence, government must now take on responsibility for our improving or maintaining citizens’ economic health, that simply means bringing educational and employment opportunities to all of our citizens. That is a huge challenge for anyone who leads this city. I would simply point to my support of the water transfer to Citizens as an example of understanding government’s role in carrying out its responsibility to supply clean water and while offering an economic advantage to the taxpayers to pay for needed infrastructure repairs.







Candidate Responses I support the role of the CCC as it spelled out: The Council is the legislative branch of local City and County government and is responsible for adopting budgets, levying taxes, and authorizing financial appropriations to fund city and county operations, as well as enacting, repealing, or amending local laws. The Council also appoints members to certain boards and commissions that serve the community in various areas. I have implemented a similar philosophy while serving on the IPS School Board, which is the local governing body of the largest school district in the state of Indiana.


Local government must play an active and responsible role in our society; it can be a conduit for progress in our communities. Like all level of governments, it must also limit its role to protecting our rights and facilitating actions that individuals cannot do on their own. From police officers and fire-fighters to snow removal and trash pickup, we have a responsibility to provide critical services to the communities that we serve. These tasks must be performed excellently, yet the costs must be controlled in order to have a low-tax rate that is competitive versus other cities and conducive to growth. Government must strive for fiscal discipline and engage private resources whenever they can add value to our end residents and businesses. Examples include the use of private contractors to augment our snow removal force during very large snow-falls, this is more responsible than having an extra 300 plows laying around the city to only be used every few years. Another is the hiring of a parking operator to run the City's parking meters. The meters are switching to a more practical "high-tech" kind that accept credit cards and the city's net revenues should be higher than before. Better service and improve revenue for taxing entities without raising taxes.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What are the priorities for your term if you are elected? Please enunciate both your philosophical priorities and some specific priorities related to each philosophical tenet






Candidate Responses Throughout Marion County, over and over again, our fellow residents have said they have several consistent main priorities. Economic development/job creation, community development and public safety. Over the years, our focus on small business development has been severely lacking. It’s not enough to go looking for Fortune 500 companies. Although bringing large employers to Indianapolis is important, failing to address the disappearing small businesses around Indianapolis has added to our basic economic troubles and has been a major contributor to the decline of many of our communities. Businesses that once served as anchors for community, now sit empty with For Rent signs (or worse, No Trespassing) in them. Opportunistic businesses, such as check cashing and pawn shops, have flourished in many of our struggling communities. Directing our efforts into small business incubation from within our communities will not only help with essential job creation and increase tax revenue, but also help re-stabilize many of our communities. But we can’t achieve these goals without grassroots community involvement and partnerships between neighborhoods and city.






John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses Basic services must be provided with an expectation of excellence – from a top-notch police force with more officers out in the community to plowing our streets and fixing potholes. I also will advocate for more interaction between government and neighborhoods. On my website (votebarth.com) I have posted several policy papers on how to improve neighborhoods. One of my proposals includes locating the Mayor’s township liaisons out in neighborhoods in community-based non-profit organizations. They should be working with communities to set neighborhood priorities and make plans on how to achieve them – each plan tailored to the priorities of the residents of each neighborhood

I want to see the good people of Indianapolis stop getting screwed by our local government. I am ashamed at the way our politicians spend OUR money on DRIVE SAFELY signs, $42,000 worth. Our government need not control all aspects of our lives and waste our funds.

I can’t say that I have philosophical priorities beyond what I expressed in question #2. However, there are three main areas that I think that the City County Council should focus on: Public Safety, Economic Development and Education. Public Safety must be the #1 priority, as everything else is based on this. If a person is not safe in their home, their business or at school, they cannot possibly expect to be successful. Therefore, police and fire protection must be done well. Second is Economic Development, otherwise known as jobs. If a willing person cannot find an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work, then that person’s life is being cheated. The city should do what it can to attract, retain and grow businesses by cutting red tape, providing a low and consistent tax structure and (if necessary) utilize economic incentives to help growing businesses. Third is Education. Indianapolis is a great city; one of the best in the country. We have done this by tackling crime, balancing our budget and being forward looking and proactive. However, if we want to be a world-class city in 20 – 30 years, we must have a world-class education system. That means that the best educational options are made available to every child in the city and that parents, educators, principals and the community all commit to do whatever it takes to help children succeed. If we can get Public Safety, Economic Development and Education right in Indianapolis, everything else will fall into place.







Candidate Responses The candidate did not answer this question.


My priority has become public transit. I depended on public transportation for at least 23 years of my life. I would choose to ride public transit now if there were more runs on the fixed routes, or even more convenient fixed routes. It’s embarrassing to be considered as an up-and-coming city by outsiders and we continue to neglect this part of our transportation infrastructure as an economic and sustainability issue. When I travel, I seek public transportation because I do not want the responsibility of a rental car.





Candidate Responses My top three priorities are: public safety, job creation/economic development, advocate for public school education.


Add more school choices, manage to provide the best possible services within our means and keep an open door and open mind to ways in which we can help current and potential employers grow. The hope is to always provide best "bang of the buck".

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: Should the multitude of taxing entities i.e. library, IndyGo, etc., within the City of Indianapolis be placed under the Mayor’s/City-County

Council’s administration and control? If yes, why? If no, why?






Candidate Responses They do now fall under the control of the mayor and city council (under the municipal corporations) in the sense that the mayor’s office and council make the appointments to the governing boards. Elected persons should remain accountable while keeping politics out of the decision-making process as much as possible. Therefore, I support the current arrangement.




John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses I strongly believe in accountability in government. While the Council does maintain some budget and administrative oversight of the Municipal Corporations, it may not be enough in some cases. I believe this is an issue that is worthy of extended study and a public conversation.

I do not have sufficient information to answer this to my best ability. I need to study up on both sides of the issue.

I do not have a strong opinion on the mayor having control of all these entities. However, I have very strong opinions that any taxing entity must be wholly made up of elected officials. “Taxation without Representation” was one of the reasons for our War of Independence. If this was such an important issue 200+ years ago, why should we take it any less seriously today?

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: Should the multitude of taxing entities i.e. library, IndyGo, etc., within the City of Indianapolis be placed under the Mayor’s/City-County

Council’s administration and control? If yes, why? If no, why?






Candidate Responses No, each of these organizations already has an autonomous board which reflects the community that it services. Furthermore, the Mayor’s office nor the CCC is equipped to micromanage any of these organizations to the level needed to provide quality services.


In my answer to Question 9 below, I generally support consolidation of many of the taxing entities, but I am unsure that all of these municipal corporations should be under the aegis of the Mayor or Council at this time. With the exception of the Indianapolis Public Library and IndyGo, the other municipal corporations -- Health and Hospital, Indianapolis Airport Authority, Capital Improvement Board, have a mixture of revenue sources to fund their operations. The Public Library’s, and to a lesser degree, IndyGo’s operating budgets, which depend almost totally on property taxes, could probably come under the council and mayoral control. However, this would require a change in state law and I reserve comment on the likelihood of any changes to current operations of these entities.





Candidate Responses Yes, these taxing entities should be place under the Mayor/CCC administration and control.


The Mayor and the Council need to be the "choke point", the authorities that voters can count on to be accountable for the performance of municipal corporations. I like having Boards running these entities. They provide a good check from citizens that add valuable input. However, we need the composition of these boards to be modified. When Libraries get in a financial pinch citizens look to their Mayor for leadership, but the Mayor only appoints one individual to that board of seven, the Council has another appointment. If we are going to be held accountable, then we also need the authority to make the appointments that run these. Changes to appointments at the Health & Hospital Corporation and Information Services Agency would be welcome too. The current "County Commissioners" appointee structure in Indy is not producing ideal results. The Airport Board was just reconfigured by the Legislature and it must be given time to see how it works out. I would not make changes to the Capital Improvement Board at this time.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What is your position on a “smoking ban” within the City of Indianapolis and what are the reasons for your position?






Candidate Responses I support the ban for 2 simple reasons. First, and most importantly, it is my firm belief that there is no debate that cigarette smoke (including 2nd hand) is a serious hazard to health. Secondly, comprehensive smoking bans are clearly the direction society is going. It’s clear to me that it’s the right thing to do in the interest of public health and is already the direction most major cities have gone.




John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses I strongly believe a comprehensive clean air policy should be enacted. I believe such a policy will benefit Indianapolis from an economic development (e.g., attracting and retaining conventions, lower health care costs for employers), community development (e.g., attracting talented people to live and work in the city), and overall cost to taxpayers (e.g. reduced cost for uncompensated care). If elected I will be an enthusiastic supporter of such an ordinance.

I CERTAINLY DO NOT SUPPORT A SMOKING BAN. The people of INDY should have the "RIGHT TO CHOOSE" - No Nanny City for us. FREEDOM of CHOICE is the REAL ISSUE. Keep the government out of my HOME, and BUSINESS.

The government does not have the right to force individuals or business owners to be non-smoking any more than it has a right to force them to be smoking. I recently heard that 94% of all restaurants in Indianapolis are smoke free by choice. People who want smoke-free restaurants will “vote with their feet,” and go to establishments that cater to their preferences. I trust the residents of Indianapolis to make this choice on their own.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What is your position on a “smoking ban” within the City of Indianapolis and what are the reasons for your position?






Candidate Responses I am in full support of the smoking ban because of the obvious health risk factors and the future generations of children who could become addicted.


In 2008, I was one of several sponsors of the amended smoking ban ordinance. Some of my reasons for my support of a universal smoking ban are personal as my mother was a life-long smoker and died of the complications of the treatment for lung cancer. I have seen and experienced the ills of smoking from macro and micro view. The other reason is that the workers who are exposed to second-hand smoke generally do not have health insurance; and therefore, taxpayers are picking up their health care costs.





Candidate Responses I support a comprehensive “smoking ban” within the City of Indianapolis.


I support the current ban that covers over 90% of employers and protects minors from second-hand smoke. We should encourage healthy-living. And if adults want to gather in a private cigar room for a smoke, the government should stay out of the way of the way. They know the consequences.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What is your position on implementation of curb-side recycling in the City of Indianapolis? What are your reasons for this position and if in favor of enhancing recycling how would it be funded?






Candidate Responses I fully support curb-side recycling. Outside the usual argument of whether or not global warming is real, recycling is a prime example of an issue we should build off of what we all commonly agree on. There is too much garbage in the world. Factoring in the cost and run off impact of landfills, most should be able to agree, we need to throw away less. There are many ways to look at funding; such as programs similar to other Indiana cities like Bloomington. Some offer free recycling and residents pay for trash pickup. This encourages separating garbage from recyclables, but we would have to make sure it didn’t also contribute to an increase in illegal dumping. Another issue in the solid waste area is the cost to process trash. Although the cost to pick up and process garbage has gone up, the fee for processing has not. Because trash has still been picked up, a financial shell game takes place. People understand the cost to process what they use. What they do not understand is moving money around, causing shortfalls in other areas and “fiscal emergencies” down the road. The cost to process solid waste needs to be looked into as a first step. In whatever form this funding takes, the average cost per household is still around $3 a month and can be offset by several different ways, including coupons from the recycling provider. We also need to be realistic. Recycling, as is the case with public transit, is best approached first from the public education perspective first.



MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What is your position on implementation of curb-side recycling in the City of Indianapolis? What are your reasons for this position and if in favor of enhancing recycling how would it be funded?



John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses

Many cities across the nation have launched free curb-side recycling programs and I support doing so in Indianapolis city-wide. There are many approaches the city could take to fund such an initiative. For example, Indianapolis could develop long-term deals with companies who desire to use recycled material in their packaging, but do not yet consider Indianapolis to be a viable partner due to the very modest approach we have taken to recycling.

I am all for curb side recycling. How it would be funded? I do not have the overview of the city’s budget at this time to answer that with full regard to the question.

I would love to see voluntary curb-side recycling be made available to everyone in Indianapolis for a reasonable fee. I would be very hesitant to force mandatory recycling city wide, as this would force an additional fee (i.e. tax) on the residents of Indianapolis. From my understanding, this would lower the cost of recycling per household, but at the end of the day this is simply subsidizing the people who want recycling by making everyone share the costs. For full disclosure, my family (voluntarily) recycles aluminum cans, and has done so for years.





Candidate Responses

I am in full support of expanding recycling in the City of Indianapolis. There are many funding opportunities which must be studied in order to find the best fit.


I will say that I have not formed a position on curb-side recycling. I recognize the benefit in recycling and I recycle some items. It’s my understanding the current program is too costly for taxpayers. I am in favor of improving the program but I am not sure how it would get funded in our next year’s budget.





Candidate Responses

I support the implementation of a curb-side recycling program in the City of Indianapolis. It would be funded by a combination of user fees, government grants, and private donors.


Recycling is growing in Indianapolis and the current funding mechanism is adequate. Other than metals, there is little economic value to the city from recyclables so at this time citizens have to pay for the service. The initial OPTIONAL fee is fair. If we had a very high acceptance rate and the whole County recycled it is estimated that we could do this for $12/year (per parcel). As the value of plastic, paper and glass increases, this cost could be reduced.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What is your position on public funding via TIFs for various North Midtown Redevelopment Area initiatives? What is your rationale for this position?






Candidate Responses I currently live in a TIF district and I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact they can have in an otherwise neglected area. I support the use of TIF districts in these types of instances and others where development would not naturally occur, the reason for TIFs in the first place. I do, however, have concerns that some TIFs have been misused in the sense that they have been used solely for use as a funding source in instances where development would normally occur naturally. Jumpstarting floundering or declining development, with the goal that the new development will add to the revenue base, has made TIFs a useful tool. But they should only be used when development would not normally occur and should have an easily defined and identified goal so they can be retired when the initial goal is met.




John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses I support the North Midtown Redevelopment Area TIF. From the multiple community meetings I have attended on this topic, it is clear that there is a hunger in the midtown section of the city for redevelopment and investment. However, given the tight municipal budget and sluggish economic recovery it is clear that without a vehicle for funding, the investment will lag – and that could lead to folks leaving our vital Northside neighborhoods. I will note that there has been considerable concern about the operations and use of the funds generated from some of the existing legacy TIFs in the city. To address this, I would support designing any new TIF with specific rules for the uses of any funds collected and would support a sunset date for the TIF’s operation.

TIF funding is cool. BUT this would certainly depend on WHAT the development was wouldn't it? My rationale is IF IT IS GOOD for the COMMUNITY no problem! If it is a PET PROJECT of a developer who made donations to election campaigns NO.

TIF districts are a powerful tool and can play an important role in economic development. Every area of town is different, so there will be times when TIF’s are appropriate, and times when they are not. That being said, we need to make sure that funds raised by TIF districts are used for the appropriate purposes only.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What is your position on public funding via TIFs for various North Midtown Redevelopment Area initiatives? What is your rationale for this position?






Candidate Responses I support using TIF funds for redevelopment projects as long as once the debt is repaid from the project that the taxing rate returns to the pre-project level.


I optimistically look at TIFs as the government taking a calculated risk in investing in an area for redevelopment with the intention that the tax increases expected from the property in the redevelopment area will pay off over the years. I support the Midtown redevelopment through tax increment financing but with the plan that the property will be returned to the tax rolls at a time certain. A comprehensive policy regarding the establishment and terms for TIFs is currently being developed by Mayor Ballard’s administration.





Candidate Responses I support the TIF’s for the NMRA initiatives. However, there should be a cap or ending date when the revenues would stop going towards these initiatives.


Neighbors investing in their neighborhoods is exactly the kind of initiative that local government should help facilitate. I support these and consider them a good way to continue the forward progress that many of these areas have seen over the last decade.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What should the Mayor’s role be if control of the six State-identified, failing Indianapolis Public Schools is taken from IPS? What other role should the Mayor play in public education in Indianapolis?






Candidate Responses The role of mayor and its relationship with IPS will be dictated by state mandate. I’m not convinced mayoral control of IPS is the best idea, but I do recognize a change is needed. Charter schools, which are under mayoral control, have fluctuating degrees of success, much like public schools. I do, however, believe the mayor can have an influence on education in less than direct way. Some examples are advocating for increased vocational training. Not everyone is going to be a doctor, lawyer or stockbroker. Society needs carpenters, electricians, plumbers, mechanics and even hair stylists. Many people in these types of trades have maintained employment in even the worst economic conditions. Preparing students for the workforce should be the primary goal of any education system, and sometimes that means learning a marketable trade, as I myself have done. It is my belief that not enough has been done to incubate future small business owners. We can, as a city, change that. Another way the mayor can influence results in education is overall quality of life improvements in depressed areas of our city. Reduced crime, access to child care and healthy food, safe and clean neighborhoods can all impact a child’s ability to absorb and process information. A successful campaign to improve the quality of life for all areas of our city, will improve the results of public education.






John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses The success of our schools and graduation rates are a vital part of making Indianapolis a place where people want to raise their families and start businesses. The Mayor and the Council must assume leadership roles on this critical issue. Melina Kennedy has articulated a clear vision on education that I strongly support, which includes: 1) Sustained Mayoral Engagement; 2) Investments in Early Childhood Education & Literacy; 3) Continued Charter School Improvement & Accountability; 4) Maximizing Resources and Partnerships to Improve Educational Outcomes.

The takeover of flailing IPS schools is a most serious issue. Regardless of how it is resolved, our communities served by the schools should be included as stakeholders if you will, in any plan and valued for their contributions to improve their own schools. At the same time, the mayor should look for opportunities to collaborate with the State Board of Education and IPS through the Charter School Office. By encouraging local groups to enter the Charter movement and take ownership of their own education system, control is returned to community stakeholders, not life-long bureaucrats, ya know.

Local control and oversight is always preferred to State or Federal involvement. However, the failure of these 6 schools is a failure of that local oversight (i.e. the IPS school board). Therefore, it was absolutely necessary (and the right thing to do) that the state department of education should step in and make necessary changes to give every child in these schools the opportunities for a great education. How does the Mayor’s office fit into this? I still believe that local control and oversight is better than the state, but it would be irresponsible to return oversight to the organization that dropped the ball in the first place. Therefore, once the state department of education has made necessary changes in takeover schools, having the Mayor’s office oversee these schools moving forward makes sense. There is no need for the Mayor to oversee all Marion County schools, or even all of IPS for that matter.





Candidate Responses The mayor should only have an advisory role. We must continue to invest in the public school system.


Now that it is pretty clear that currently the Mayor’s office will not have control of the State takeover schools, I think that Mayor as well as City-County Council should have a role in public education in Indianapolis. I support government consolidation to lessen the number of taxing entities within the county. I believe that lowering the number of operating taxing entities will lower taxes overall and economize government. Because schools make up 50% of our property tax bills, both the Mayor and Council should have some policy and fiscal oversight of not only IPS but all of the township school systems.







Candidate Responses The Mayor should be the number one advocate for public schools and improving public school education in Marion County. The Mayor should not take control of these six schools, but work with the school board and superintendent to support and improve them.


The Mayor should be an advocate for students and teachers. Consolidate common operations like HR and purchasing, but let us decentralize our schools and let every one of them run independently. Let them compete for talented teachers and evaluate them on student achievement. Competition improves education quality, look at our university system (the standard of the world). Mayoral control of the schools would not guarantee any improvements, and parents seems unreceptive to this idea. The Mayor can show the great results that so many of our Charter Schools are producing as models for the traditional public schools to imitate. Competition leads to innovation and raises the achievement bar. If Indianapolis can pay teachers more (by reducing administrative expenses) we can encourage more performance from our teachers and increase the size and quality of the pool of professionals willing to teach. Deregulation that leads to innovation, combined with constant auditing of results, is the path to success. If we remove the shackles of teacher contracts and failed regulations, we will see a successful education system and a generation of young entrepreneurial innovators could lead Indianapolis on to a path of progress like we have never seen before.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: Do you anticipate imposing fees and/or raising taxes to cover budget shortfalls? If that becomes necessary, which fees or taxes might be imposed?






Candidate Responses As a small business owner, one of the things that must to be done is to periodically give your finances a shake down. This should be done even when things are good. In fact, I would even say, the best time to assess how efficient your plan is working is when things are going smoothly. I have found that decisions made in dire situations are often sloppy and shortsighted and can often lead to more expensive remedies in the future. There are several questions that need to be asked beforehand. Where can cuts be made without sacrificing service? Where can efficiencies be achieved? Can we consolidate duplicated spending? Whatever the situation, the first thing that needs to happen is a full understanding of where we are financially. Should a budget shortfall occur, the first thing I would recommend is the make sure all services are being paid for as expected. For example, as I mentioned above, solid waste processing fees have not gone up even though the cost to process the waste has. I also understand there are some services that are not intended to generate income, such as public safety.



MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: Do you anticipate imposing fees and/or raising taxes to cover budget shortfalls? If that becomes necessary, which fees or taxes might be imposed?



John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses Just like the families in our community, city-county government needs to live within its budget. In my view, elected leaders need to have a rational, honest discussion with the public about what government services cost and determine what residents are willing to pay. In this way, we can have broad community buy-in on our priorities and our willingness to pay for them via different revenue streams.

I see a cannabis tax and licensing down the road. Should help a lot too. I would like to reduce fees that are simply BAD for the people. Stop putting so many fees on the citizens of Indianapolis. We are TAXED ENOUGH!

No - Taxes are already too high. I will not support any income tax increases for any reason.





Candidate Responses I will not vote for any hidden fee hike. I believe in transparent government. If there is a need for greater income into the city to pay for needed services I will study the situation and work to create the best possible outcome.


I anticipate IndyGo will request a rate increase which is needed to maintain its fixed routes without raising rider fees. I hate to say it that the one likely source is a small increase in the property taxes. There is little choice other than cutting services which are extremely lacking.





Candidate Responses I do not anticipate imposing any fees or raising taxes to cover budget shortfalls.


No. I do anticipate controversial budgets because too many people in government believe that their programs are more important than your hard-earned dollars. I respectfully disagree and would rather spend my time defending cuts over spending the same time defending tax raises.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What plans or programs do you envision to promote neighborhood cohesiveness and local community involvement to reduce crimes of

opportunity such as break-ins, vandalism to parked cars, and thefts from private property? Please provide specific examples.






Candidate Responses The issue that is absolutely the most critical to me is neighborhoods. Creating safe and sound communities is too large a task for any local government or neighborhood organization to take on by themselves. Partnerships between the city and neighborhoods must be created and fostered. Working with neighborhood residents and neighborhood organizations for nearly a decade, I know we can do better. Communications between the city and neighborhoods should first start with a laundry list of local and state laws already on the books that are designed to improve the quality of life for residents. We also need to insure that the existing laws are being enforced, such as the newly passed noise ordinance.




John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses As a former neighborhood association president, I know that our city’s neighborhood associations can be a key focal point for crime reduction efforts. Beyond just neighborhood associations, our city has many strong community-based non-profits and faith-based organizations that can be part of an overall tapestry of connectivity to address crime. I strongly believe that we can build better connections across the city’s community-based organization infrastructure to the IMPD to enhance community policing efforts. For example, while leading BTNA, I helped launch a pilot program aimed at identifying crime “hot spots” in the neighborhood and ensuring that absentee landlord were aware of the activity in the properties.

Well lit streets with cameras monitoring public parking areas works for me.

I would love to say that I am a public safety expert, but I am not. I will tell you what I told the Fraternal Order of Police (the FOP has endorsed me for the council): my job as a councilor is to find out what the officers need to fight crime, find the money to pay for it and then let them do their job. I want to know that the police are doing their best and are held to the upmost professional standards, but my job is not to micro-manage them. That is why they have a Chief of Police and the Mayor has a Public Safety Director.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What plans or programs do you envision to promote neighborhood cohesiveness and local community involvement to reduce crimes of

opportunity such as break-ins, vandalism to parked cars, and thefts from private property? Please provide specific examples.






Candidate Responses The first portion of the question is a state jobs question. With readily available jobs petty crimes happen less often. However, I do believe that in these troubled economic times the answer is community policing. It allows residents to know what is going on in their neighborhood and report potential crisis.


I think that efforts like National Night Out is one great example of promoting neighborhood cohesiveness. The others are the neighborhood crime prevention groups in tandem with police are the best deterrents to burglaries and vandalism. I think that keeping neighborhood schools open and available to community groups and youth would deter some crime.





Candidate Responses Improve and enhance neighborhood crime watch programs and the installation of more cameras. Advocate for community policing and neighborhood block captains.


I just sponsored an ordinance that dramatically reduces the cost to neighborhoods for hosting events. Quality of life starts with good neighbors. On the criminal side, IMPD is in the process of adding "zones" to some of their beats. Neighborhood policing is very important and will remain a part of the way IMPD operates, but criminals do not hold themselves to neighborhood boundaries and zones have been effective in other cities so I look forward to learning the results of our local attempts.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: Would you support using high-tech aids to leverage our police presence such as installing audio/video sensors that can instantly pin-point a

gunshot and swivel a high resolution camera to the source of the gunshot such as has been done in San Francisco? In that particular area, after five years there has not been one single police call for gunshots and the area has gone from a wasteland to a high-scale residential area.

How would you fund this sort of effort?






Candidate Responses I would absolutely support the use of such technology. Locally, the city has installed real time security cameras that link to the MECA in high risk/crime areas and the crime has gone down. This kind of equipment is very expensive and a community dialogue would have to be had about funding.




John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses I support innovative approaches to addressing crime, especially when various approaches have proven successful in other localities. Funding and budgeting is a matter of setting priorities – I would work with neighborhood on their priorities and advocate for them during the budgeting process.

I could support this if it is cost effective. I would have to read more on it. How much are we funding? How many cameras? Who is supervising them? What’s the monthly charge back? I would need more info to properly answer this. The idea is good.

I am not familiar with this particular high-tech aid, but it sounds very interesting. This is the beauty of local government – we don’t need to recreate the wheel. If something is working in other areas of the state or country, we can see what worked, what didn’t work and what we might be able to gain from it. As for funding, this budget year (2012) will probably be our tightest year, and based on the summary numbers that I have seen, there is still room for efficiencies. The main thing is not to spend more on public safety, but to spend the money in the most efficient way possible. If that means high-tech gear, great. If that means more officers on patrol, that’s what we’ll do.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: Would you support using high-tech aids to leverage our police presence such as installing audio/video sensors that can instantly pin-point a

gunshot and swivel a high resolution camera to the source of the gunshot such as has been done in San Francisco? In that particular area, after five years there has not been one single police call for gunshots and the area has gone from a wasteland to a high-scale residential area.

How would you fund this sort of effort?






Candidate Responses I support the use of high-tech aids to make our city safer. However the cost-benefit must fit the investment.


You have given me information of which I thought only existed in the spy movies. Nonetheless, assuming that we have accurate data on the areas that have these kinds of calls, I would hope that these areas are small in number. Being a realist, I think there are more areas than I realize that have errant gunfire. I prefer community policing efforts, and think that funding would still be within our large public safety budget.





Candidate Responses Yes, I would support the efforts to use these high-tech aids. I would fund this effort by federal government grants, CDC grants, private donations, and from the public safety budget.


Someday, as the city continues to pay-down its debts, funds will become available for innovative projects like this. I am not familiar with the San Francisco example. Cameras do have a role in public safety but this must be respectful of individual's civil liberties. Cameras to reduce gun shots would be a fine addition to areas where gun shots. Cameras to track drivers (popular in Europe) do not interest me.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: Mass Transit:

a. What is your position on some form of mass transit improvement and in what form? b. Do you support a referendum to establish the necessary governmental infrastructure to address this issue? c. Do you support a regional (multi-county) effort and approach to this issue in particular to the funding and planning? d. How would enhanced mass transit be paid for?






Candidate Responses a) Fully support mass transit in the forms of light rail and commuter rail as well as complementary bus service.

b) Yes c) Yes, but as Marion County would have the largest

input financially, the focus should be on Marion County and connecting our communities.

d) Mass transit, I believe, is a service that has huge benefits to a city. A majority of the funding would come by way federal grants and transportation dollars and state law or voter referendum applied to property tax, gas tax, license plate fees or a combination of several. Other sources for funding would be from public/private partnerships, TIF districts and/or COIT (although not a reliable source). It is important to remember no form of public transportation “pays for itself” in the way most people think of that term. Even the nation’s best example of cost efficient, quality public transit uses public dollars. So the way I look at it, from a standpoint of creating jobs and encouraging economic development, public transit more than pays for itself. The American Public Transportation Association has found that every $1 invested in transit returns $4 to the local economy. The Central Indiana Transit Task Force found that establishment of a robust, region-wide bus and rail transit system would improve the return on investment for central Indiana’s long-term transportation plan by 41%.







John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses An expanded mass transit capacity would allow for economic growth by enabling more residents to get to jobs and would stimulate development at newly defined business nodes needed as stops on a new system. I believe that the Indy Connect process has been excellent – well managed and interactive, responding to input from residents. At a high level, I support the expansion of IndyGo routes and adding more frequent service. In addition, I would support the city working with surrounding communities to implement light rail service that would make Marion County easier to visit and navigate. As for funding, I believe the planned referendum is a thoughtful way for our residents to weigh in. Beyond that, we need to ensure that we leverage federal transportation dollars and grants to the greatest extent possible.

We certainly need some form of mass transit. And Yes I support necessary governmental infrastructure to address this issue. BUT NOT A NEW TAX of $15pp.Sponsorship of platforms, billboards and ads in and on trains. Rental of food booths and news stands at platforms. Advertising would be substantial. And yes certainly if the transportation goes outside the county, the next county would be responsible for their fair share. I DO NOT SUPPORT a new $15pp tax. It’s a bottomless money pit. No transportation company in the world makes money. They are all HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED. I am NOT for the NEW LITE RAIL TAX. Fund it through the new cannabis tax that is right around the corner.

a) I would love to see a 21st century mass transit plan put in place here in Indianapolis. I freely admit that I don’t know what the best plan is; light rail, expanding bus service, electric trolleys, etc. Unfortunately, I do know that almost every mass transit program in the country needs taxpayer subsidies of between 70% - 80%, which makes any plan very hard to justify economically.

b) According to the numbers I have seen, the initial cost of the rail project would be over $2 Billion. The interest alone on a levy that large would be over $60 Million per year. That is larger than IndyGo’s annual budget. That type of commitment would have to have exceptionally good long-term benefits to make economic sense.

c) It must be a regional effort, as many people who work in Marion County live outside of Marion County and vice versa.

d) Again, most mass transit systems are overly reliant on federal, state and local taxes to fund their initial costs and ongoing operations. With the continued budget problems at the federal level, this support cannot be relied upon long-term. That means we need to come up with alternative funding sources before committing to it. I look forward to working with my fellow city county councilors to find effective and efficient ways to significantly reduce the burden on the taxpayer.




Office: At-Large City-County Councilor (I = Incumbent) Candidate’s Name / Party


Sheri Meinert

Libertarian


Candidate Responses

a) I support all forms of mass transit b) I do not support a ballot referendum in this matter. Too often they are swayed by the moneyed interests for either side. c) Absolutely d) User Fees


a) If more of our citizens had to depend on public transit as their SOLE source for getting to work, shopping and church, we would have a better system in place today. It’s an economic tool to keep our children in our community and to enhance corporations to locate here. The lagging public transit system, i.e. IndyGo, hurts tourism as well. b) If a referendum is necessary to find the local dedicated funding source then I support it. I think that we should consider allowing an increase in the tax rate to improve IndyGo operations currently. c) I am a supporter of the regional effort and commend those persons who are leading this drive. d) To the extent that I alluded to a tax rate increase for IndyGo for its 2012 budget, I think that a regional gas or highways tax will be a means to pay for the enhanced transit system. I think that some of the state’s funding to build more roads should also be dedicated to building a transit that is comparable to transit systems in cities like Charlotte, North Carolina and Columbus, Ohio.

Office: At-Large City-County Councilor (I = Incumbent) Candidate’s Name / Party




Candidate Responses

a) I support a much improved mass transit initiative in the form of a light train rail system. b) Yes, I would support a referendum on this issue. c) Yes, I support a multi-county effort and approach on this issue. d) Enhanced mass transit would be paid for by a combination of federal and state grants, private donors/advertisers, user fees, and tax revenues.


a) Effective mass transit is necessary. Our analysis must go beyond just fixed rail. Bus Rapid Transit is a good option. There is a lot of new technology being developed in the transportation arena. I am reluctant to commit to investing billions in 19th century technology when we are on the cusp of a much less costly and more productive alternative. b) Yes c) Yes d) The only realistic way currently being discussed that would inject more dollars into mass transit is some kind of tax. I dislike it, but remain committed to listening to voters on this matter.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What is your position on outsourcing City work versus awarding the work to a local company?

What criteria would you use in these situations?






Candidate Responses I strongly favor using local companies whenever possible. Keeping public dollars circulating locally should be a priority for every local elected official. Unless cost makes it impossible or there is no local company that can do the work, local is the first choice.




John Barth Democrat



Candidate Responses I would support a system that would give preference points to local firms in the bidding process.

It certainly depends on what department and what the work is. We need to support local HOOSIER vendors. Not contracting companies from Ohio and Illinois.

Any entity, be it public company, private citizen or government agency, should look for the goods and services that best fit their needs and budget. I have no doubt that 9 times out of 10, the work, service or product would be best provided by a local company. However, if there was a time when two providers have almost identical options, the local company should be given preference.





Candidate Responses Always local The candidate did not respond despite repeated email transmittal of the questionnaire and requests i.e. on 8/03, with follow-up emails on 8/16, 9/06, 9/15, and an extended deadline to 9/21.

I don’t necessarily think that outsourcing connotes work going to out-of-county or out-of-state vendors. One excellent example of the City work going to a local company is the water transaction going to Citizens Gas. It is very difficult (if not illegal) to award a bid to a company on the basis of its situs of incorporation or corporate headquarters to the exclusion of non-local companies. Law requires that a bid must be awarded to the most responsive, responsible bidder. As it concerns requests for proposals or quotes, criteria can be weighted in favor of a local company.

MKNA 2011 At-Large City-County Councilor Candidate Questionnaire Responses Question: What is your position on outsourcing City work versus awarding the work to a local company?

What criteria would you use in these situations?






Candidate Responses All City work would be awarded to local companies. The criteria would be in the form of an open bidding process for all locally owned and operated companies.


We outsource work to local companies all the time. Our procurement process must be transparent, fair and geared towards providing value to the taxpayer. The new Wishard gives priority in hiring to qualified Marion County residents. All else being equal, buy local. However, irresponsible purchasing with the hope of enriching locals leads to cronyism. If other governments reciprocated by discriminating against Indianapolis-based companies; the resulting economic impact would lead companies to relocate outside of Indianapolis.

mkna 2011 at-large city-county councilor candidate ......audio/video sensors that can instantly...

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