Residents of Indianapolis are questioning the allocation of taxpayer resources as the City-County Council initiates several road and park improvement projects. Each council member received a budget of $1 million for the 2025 fiscal year to invest in local infrastructure, predominantly focusing on road enhancements. As construction plans unfold, community members are scrutinizing the selection process for these projects.
Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, representing District 20, has chosen to resurface roads in the Forest Creek neighborhood. Notably, part of this project includes a street adjacent to his own home. Hart explained, “I’m trying to do it in the most fair way possible. I ultimately determined, you know, if I told folks that I was gonna put the money into parks and not roads, they wouldn’t be happy with that decision.”
Hart emphasized that he relied on data to inform his project selections, citing various factors including the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) and the age of the roads. He stated, “Here’s the PCI rating, here’s how old the road is, here’s where the projects already are… and then this is the place that makes the most logical sense.”
Councilor Carlos W. Perkins, who represents District 6, allocated his funding to the Quail Ridge neighborhood, where he observed significant road deterioration. Perkins, who also serves as pastor at the nearby Bethel Cathedral AME Church, expressed concern for his community’s infrastructure. He noted, “In walking through that community, I noticed, through my own observation, that the roads were in terrible condition.”
When asked about residents advocating for funding to be redirected to their streets, Perkins responded, “They have advocated, they have been in touch with me, it’s been a communication through the last two years, and I believe that they deserve this investment.”
Councilor Jared Evans has also chosen to resurface streets in the Avon Creeks Estates neighborhood. Interestingly, his home is located on one of the streets slated for improvement. Meanwhile, Councilor Brian Mowery plans to resurface a 0.8-kilometer stretch of Sunset Ridge Parkway, which serves as the entrance to his Franklin Township neighborhood. Neither Evans nor Mowery provided comments for this report by the time of publication.
Construction on these projects is set to commence as early as next month, with anticipated completion by summer 2026. As the city moves forward with these improvements, residents are left pondering the fairness of the decision-making process regarding where their taxpayer dollars are being spent.
The discussion surrounding these projects continues to evolve, reflecting broader concerns about representation and equitable resource distribution within the community.
