Indianapolis City-County Council
The City-County Council of Indianapolis and Marion County is the legislative body of the combined government of the city of Indianapolis and the county of Marion in the state of Indiana. The council was established as part of the consolidation of city and county governments, enacted by Unigov on January 1, 1970.[1]
City–County Council of Indianapolis and Marion County | |
|---|---|
| City of Indianapolis | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
| Founded | January 1, 1970 |
| Preceded by | Indianapolis Common Council |
New session started | January 1, 2020 |
| Leadership | |
President | |
Vice-President | Zach Adamson (D) |
Majority Leader | Maggie A. Lewis (D) |
Majority Whip | William Oliver (D) |
Minority Leader | Brian Mowery (R) |
Minority Whip | Paul Annee (R) |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 25 |
 | |
Political groups | Majority
Minority
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
Last election | November 5, 2019 (25 seats) |
Next election | November 7, 2023 (25 seats) |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Beurt R. SerVaas Public Assembly Room City-County Building 200 E. Washington St. | |
| Website | |
| www | |
The council is composed of 25 members elected to four-year renewable terms, each representing an electoral district. The council is responsible for reviewing and adopting budgets and appropriations. It can also enact, repeal, or amend ordinances, and make appointments to certain boards and commissions, among other duties. Council offices and the public assembly room are housed in the City-County Building.[1]
History
City Council (1832–1891)
Robert Bruce Bagby was elected as the city's first African American to serve on the Indianapolis City Council in 1877.[2]
Common Council (1891–1970)
Nannette Dowd became the first woman elected to Indianapolis Common Council in the 1934 municipal election.[3]
City-County Council (1970–present)
Following the launch of Unigov on January 1, 1970, members of the former Indianapolis Common Council and the Marion County Council were combined to form the first City-County Council. The council was composed of 29 seats: 25 representing geographic districts and four at-large.[1] The first City-County Council election occurred on November 2, 1971.
In the 2011 Indianapolis City-County Council election, Zach Adamson was elected as the first openly gay member of the council, representing District 17.[4]
In April 2013, the Indiana General Assembly passed Senate Enrolled Act 621 which outlined several changes to city-county government, including eliminating the council's four at-large seats following the 2015 Indianapolis City-County Council election. The controversial bill was signed into law by Governor Mike Pence.[5]
The 2019 Indianapolis City-County Council election proved historic. Democrats flipped six Republican seats to earn the party's first supermajority since the council's creation in 1970.[6] Ali Brown became the first openly queer-identifying woman to serve on the council, representing District 5. Along with the reelection of Adamson, Brown was joined by fellow newcomers Ethan Evans (District 4) and Keith Potts (District 2), respectively—the most LGBTQ members in the council's history.[4]
Composition
The Indianapolis City-County Council consists of 25 seats corresponding to 25 electoral districts apportioned by population throughout Marion County. Because the council is the legislative body for both the city and the county, residents of Marion County's four "excluded cities" (Beech Grove, Lawrence, Southport, and Speedway) are eligible to vote in council elections and are equally represented alongside Indianapolis residents.[7] Every seat is up for reelection every four years. The head of the council is the council president who is elected by the majority party at the council's first meeting in January.
Following the 2019 elections, Democrats expanded their control of the council with a 20–5 majority.[8][9] This marked the first time in Indianapolis history that Democrats have held a supermajority on the council.[10] The clerk of the council is Yulonda Winfield.
Current members
| District | Councillor | Assumed office | Party | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leroy Robinson | January 1, 2016 | Democratic | Map  |
| 2 | Keith Potts | January 1, 2020 | Democratic | Map  |
| 3 | Dan Boots | January 1, 2020 | Democratic | Map  |
| 4 | Ethan Evans | January 1, 2020 | Independent[lower-alpha 1] | Map  |
| 5 | Alison "Ali" Brown | January 1, 2020 | Democratic | Map  |
| 6 | Crista Carlino | January 1, 2020 | Democratic | Map  |
| 7 | John Barth | January 1, 2020 | Democratic | Map  |
| 8 | Monroe Gray, Jr. | November 23, 1992[lower-alpha 2] | Democratic | Map  |
| 9 | William "Duke" Oliver | January 1, 2004 | Democratic | Map  |
| 10 | Maggie A. Lewis | November 25, 2008[lower-alpha 3] | Democratic | Map  |
| 11 | Vop Osili | January 1, 2012 | Democratic | Map  |
| 12 | Jason Larrison | July 14, 2020[lower-alpha 4] | Democratic | Map  |
| 13 | Keith Graves | June 14, 2019[lower-alpha 5] | Democratic | Map  |
| 14 | La Keisha Jackson | August 22, 2014[lower-alpha 6] | Democratic | Map  |
| 15 | Jessica McCormick | January 1, 2020 | Democratic | Map  |
| 16 | Kristin Jones | January 1, 2020 | Democratic | Map  |
| 17 | Zach Adamson | January 1, 2012 | Democratic | Map  |
| 18 | Michael-Paul Hart | January 1, 2020 | Republican | Map  |
| 19 | David Ray | January 1, 2020 | Democratic | Map  |
| 20 | Joshua "Josh" Bain | August 14, 2020[lower-alpha 7] | Republican | Map  |
| 21 | Frank Mascari | January 1, 2012 | Democratic | Map  |
| 22 | Jared Evans | January 1, 2016 | Democratic | Map  |
| 23 | Paul Annee | January 1, 2020 | Republican | Map  |
| 24 | Michael Dilk | January 1, 2020 | Republican | Map  |
| 25 | Brian Mowery | December 5, 2016 | Republican | Map  |
Standing committees
| Committee | Chair | Member(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Committee on Committees | Vop Osili | Maggie Lewis Brian Mowery |
| Administration and Finance | Frank Mascari | Paul Annee Josh Bain John Barth Crista Carlino Michael Dilk Ethan Evans Keith Graves La Keisha Jackson Maggie Lewis Brian Mowery David Ray |
| Community Affairs | La Keisha Jackson | Zach Adamson Josh Bain Dan Boots Michael Dilk Ethan Evans Keith Graves Michael-Paul Hart Kristin Jones |
| Education | David Ray | Paul Annee John Barth Ali Brown Michael Dilk Michael-Paul Hart Jason Larrison Jessica McCormick Keith Potts Leroy Robinson |
| Environmental Sustainability | John Barth | Zach Adamson Paul Annee Josh Bain Dan Boots Ali Brown Crista Carlino Michael-Paul Hart Jason Larrison Jessica McCormick Keith Potts |
| Ethics | Jared Evans | Josh Bain Ali Brown Michael Dilk Michael-Paul Hart Vop Osili |
| Metropolitan and Economic Development | Maggie Lewis | Zach Adamson Paul Annee Ali Brown Jared Evans Michael-Paul Hart La Keisha Jackson Kristin Jones Jessica McCormick Brian Mowery Keith Potts David Ray Leroy Robinson |
| Municipal Corporations | Monroe Gray, Jr. | Josh Bain Ali Brown Jared Evans Keith Graves Michael-Paul Hart Frank Mascari Brian Mowery |
| Parks and Recreation | William "Duke" Oliver | Paul Annee Josh Bain Crista Carlino Kristin Jones Jason Larrison Jessica McCormick Brian Mowery Vop Osili Keith Potts |
| Public Safety and Criminal Justice | Leroy Robinson | Paul Annee Josh Bain John Barth Dan Boots Crista Carlino Michael Dilk Ethan Evans Jared Evans Keith Graves Frank Mascari Brian Mowery William "Duke" Oliver |
| Public Works | Zach Adamson | Josh Bain Dan Boots Crista Carlino Michael Dilk Monroe Gray, Jr. Michael-Paul Hart Kristin Jones Jessica McCormick Brian Mowery William "Duke" Oliver David Ray |
| Rules and Public Policy | Vop Osili | Paul Annee Dan Boots Ali Brown Michael Dilk Monroe Gray, Jr. Michael-Paul Hart La Keisha Jackson Maggie Lewis Brian Mowery Leroy Robinson |
Salary
Members of the council earn an annual salary of $11,400, plus per diems of $112 per council meeting and $62 per committee meeting.[18] Ordinance stipulates that annual base pay is capped at 12 percent of the mayor's salary ($95,000). In June 2022, councilors approved revisions to the ordinance for the first time in more than 20 years, increasing the annual salary to $31,075, in addition to per diems of $150 per council meeting and $75 per committee meeting. The ordinance will take effect in 2024, following the 2023 Indianapolis City-County Council election.[19]
Pertinent issues
Former councilors
- Roger W. Brown (1972–1976)
- Paul Cantwell (1970–1979)
- Jeff Cardwell (2008–2013)
- André Carson (2007–2008)
- Ray Crowe (1984–1987)
- Aaron Freeman (2010–2016)
- Phillip Hinkle (1992–2000)
- Glenn L. Howard (1975–1992)
- Blake Johnson (2016–2020)
- Cherrish Pryor (2007–2008)
- John C. Ruckelshaus (1971–1975)
- Jack Sandlin (2010–2016)
- Scott Schneider (2000–2008)
- Beurt SerVaas (1961–2002)
- Mike Speedy (2004–2010)
Notes
- Evans was elected as a Democrat during the 2019 Indianapolis City-County Council election; however, Evans announced on March 27, 2022, that he would leave the Marion County Democratic Party and fulfill the remainder of his term as an independent.[11]
- Marion County Democratic Party precinct committee members elected Gray to complete the term of Glenn L. Howard. Howard vacated the seat after his election to the Indiana Senate.
- Marion County Democratic Party precinct committee members elected Lewis to complete the term of Cherrish Pryor. Pryor vacated the seat after her election to the Indiana House of Representatives.[12]
- Marion County Democratic Party precinct committee members elected Larrison to complete the term of Blake Johnson. Johnson vacated the seat after his election to the Indiana House of Representatives.[13][14]
- Marion County Democratic Party precinct committee members elected Graves to complete the term of Stephen Clay following his resignation.[15]
- Marion County Democratic Party precinct committee members elected Jackson to complete the term of Vernon Brown following his resignation.[16]
- Marion County Republican Party precinct committee members elected Bain to complete the term of Jason Holliday. Holliday vacated the seat to serve as the Decatur Township Trustee.[17]
References
- Blomquist, William A.; White, Elizabeth L. (2021) [1994]. "Indianapolis City-County Council". Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Indianapolis Public Library. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- Warren, Stanley; Blair, Lyndsey D. (2021) [1994]. "Robert Bruce Bagby". Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Indianapolis Public Library. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- "City Council Will Have First Woman Member". The Indianapolis News. November 17, 1934. p. 17. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- Pak-Harvey, Amelia (February 2, 2020). "Historic city council has most LGBTQ members ever. Here's why that matters". The Indianapolis Star. Gannett Company. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- "Pence signs measure overhauling Marion County government". Indianapolis Business Journal. IBJ Media. May 12, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- Hays, Holly V. (November 11, 2019). "Why some expect bipartisanship on City-County Council despite Democrats' historic supermajority". The Indianapolis Star. Gannett Company. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- "Marion County, Indiana". Savi Interactive. January 4, 2008. Archived from the original on August 19, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
- "Analysis: Indianapolis Democrats win big in City-County Council, flipping 6 seats". The Indy Channel. November 6, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- "Democrats expand majority on City-County Council". Indianapolis Business Journal. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- "Seismic shift: Democrats win City-County Council supermajority". WTHR. November 6, 2019. Archived from the original on November 17, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- "City-County Councilor Ethan Evans leaves Democratic Party, becomes independent". Indianapolis Business Journal. IBJ Media. March 27, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- "Council gets a new member". The Indianapolis Star. November 30, 2008. p. B3. Retrieved September 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
The City-County Council welcomed a new member last week to replace Cherrish Pryor, who won a seat in the state legislature in the recent election. (...) Lewis won 10-3 in a Democratic caucus vote of precinct captains Monday and was sworn in Tuesday.
- Pak-Harvey, Amelia (July 14, 2020). "'We don't know him': Residents protest election of Jason Larrison to City-County Council". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- Pak-Harvey, Amelia (July 1, 2020). "Four Democrats seek vacant Indianapolis City-County Council seat on the east side". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- "Clay resigns from City-County Council following tumultuous tenure". Indianapolis Business Journal. June 4, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- "LaKeisha Jackson gets council seat". The Indianapolis Star. August 30, 2014. p. A2. Retrieved September 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
A community activist with a long history of service on the Eastside has been selected to replace retired City-County Council member Vernon Brown. (...) She was chosen by Democratic district committee members.
- Pak-Harvey, Amelia (August 12, 2020). "One Republican candidate seeks vacant Indianapolis council seat". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- "Municode Library". www.municode.com.
- Pak-Harvey, Amelia (June 7, 2022). "Indianapolis city-county councilors approve pay raise, their first in more than 20 years". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- Pinho, Faith E. "Indianapolis scooters: What the proposed regulations could mean". Indianapolis Star.
- Chapman, Lauren (February 28, 2018). "Indy City-County Council Makes Step Forward In Addressing Potholes". WFYI Public Media.
- Bartner, Amy. "$31 million tax to beautify Downtown Indianapolis moves to City-County Council". Indianapolis Star.
- "BlueIndy: Indianapolis electric car-sharing program to shut down". Indianapolis Star.
- "How council leader hopes to transform Indianapolis for poor and marginalized people". Indianapolis Star.
- "City-County Council Democrats pull pay raise proposal from agenda, will revisit in 2020". Indianapolis Star.