Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett on Monday presented a proposed nearly $1.9 billion city budget for 2027 that emphasizes public safety, infrastructure and neighborhood services, and relies in part on increases to local taxes and fees to fund those priorities.
Budget totals and priorities
The spending plan designates roughly 40 percent of the budget — about $761 million — to public safety initiatives, including funding for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, programs to reduce gun violence and housing supports for people experiencing homelessness. Another $530 million is earmarked for community development and infrastructure projects, officials said.
Hogsett framed the proposal as a continuation of a long-run fiscal approach. He said, in part, that the plan would mark Indianapolis’ 10th consecutive balanced budget if approved.
“From filling potholes to preventing violence, from mowing a neighborhood park to supporting families, we continue to work,”
The mayor also highlighted an investment in a new IMPD district headquarters on the city’s northeast side and an upgrade to the Department of Public Works operations garage. City leaders said the garage project is intended to improve equipment storage and working conditions for DPW crews who respond to city needs at all hours.
How the city would pay for it
To help cover the proposed spending, Hogsett indicated the city would rely partly on revenue increases, including changes to:
- local income taxes,
- stormwater fees, and
- property taxes.
City departments and agencies now must present their individual budget requests to the relevant City-County Council committees during the coming two months. The council is scheduled to vote on the final 2027 budget during its Oct. 19 meeting.
Local impacts and next steps
If adopted, the proposed budget would steer millions toward public safety operations and neighborhood services that affect daily life across Indianapolis. Funding for an IMPD northeast district headquarters could change police deployment and response in parts of the city, while the DPW garage project is aimed at enhancing the department’s operational readiness, particularly for pothole repairs, snow removal and other maintenance work.
Investments in housing for people experiencing homelessness will be part of the public safety allocation, aligning social services with public safety goals — a strategy city officials have used in past budgets. Community development and infrastructure dollars will fund projects across neighborhoods, though specific project lists will emerge as departments present their detailed requests to council committees.
| Category | Approx. Amount |
|---|---|
| Public safety | $761 million |
| Community development & infrastructure | $530 million |
The mayor said the proposal is intended to position Indianapolis for the future.
“The budget I present to you, and it’s in that spirit, will carry Indianapolis in the years ahead,”he said.
Council members will scrutinize department budgets in committee hearings over the next two months before the full council takes a final vote in October. Residents concerned about tax and fee changes — particularly those on fixed incomes or small businesses — can follow the committee schedule and public hearings to voice input as the budget process unfolds.
As the city prepares for deliberations, the proposed budget sets broad priorities but leaves many specifics to departmental requests and council negotiation. The next steps will determine how the plan’s headline investments translate into projects and services across Indianapolis neighborhoods.
