I’ll admit to not following Indianapolis’s mayoral race too closely. But, my impression was that one of the main reasons for picking Ballard over Peterson was because of Peterson’s push to increase the county option income tax. Turns out, Ballard doesn’t think that tax hike was so bad. Because, he’s going to keep it and isn’t going to try to repeal it. Except maybe “sometime down the road.”
Disillusionment among Ballard supporters sets in.
Because I can’t stand to go to Advance Indiana and give myself a stroke, I’ll write this here.
The COIT increase *cannot* be repealed or modified for two years. That’s law. It has to do with it being technically a state tax I believe. So Ballard’s whole campaign based on how bad it was (which is a separate argument*) was based on an implied lie that he could even do anything about it anytime soon. The fact that his supporters are upset about this shows how little they knew about an issue that was central to their voting for Ballard.
*A vast majority of the COIT increase went to more police on the street and to fixing the public safety pension problem. I find it strange that Ballard both ran with the support of the FOP *AND* on a campaign that the COIT increase was bad. That… cognitive dissonance made (and still makes) no sense to me.
“So Ballard’s whole campaign based on how bad it was (which is a separate argument*) was based on an implied lie that he could even do anything about it anytime soon.”
ah, much like his campaigning on property taxes, which he will never have any power to change.
Wasn’t the general consensus that the election was a vote against an out-of-touch Marion County Democratic Party, not a vote for Ballard? I mean, Peterson packing the room with your own supporters when you’re proposing a budget … Monroe Gray as your CCC chief … can we go on?
As far as the FOP supporting Ballard, it’s my understanding that they so loathed Peterson & being under the Sheriff that they would support anyone who would put them back under the Mayor’s office.
The Marion County Democrats, between losing the election and the loss of Julia Carson, will be quite interesting to watch the next few years. Frankly, them being out of power for 4 years will give them time to have their power war and get their house in order … the first battle will be who is nominated to replace Carson.
I don’t know much about the Indy Democrats, but my sense from afar is to agree with Joe. They need some time to clean house and reflect on what it is they actually want to accomplish.
Meanwhile, in the early going, Ballard doesn’t look like he’s helping himself or the city’s Republicans to solidify their power.
I really have no idea what Ballard is doing. He seemed to have the opportunity to do his own thing, given the lack of support from the Marion County Republican Party in the election.
Instead, he seems to have thrown in with them … and it almost seems like he’ll be a puppet mayor.
Good thing I live in a donut county.