Council Roundup: Support for Retail Workers, Delay on Towing BlueIndy

Along with the introduction of the 2016 budget for Indianapolis Monday night, the City-County Council voted on several issues that have drawn some debate, though most of them symbolic. Here's a quick roundup:

BlueIndy won't be towed, yet

BlueIndy’s demonstration cars parked in downtown Indianapolis won’t be towed away in a show of protest just yet. City-County Councilors delayed their vote on such a move as lawmakers and executives from the electric car-share service work out their differences.

Councilors are angry with the contract BlueIndy has and the placement of electric charging stations.

The car-share service is supposed to launch in early September.

Support for retail workers

In a close vote, Indianapolis city-county councilors have put their ceremonial support behind a retail worker’s bill of right. Advocates for better retail working conditions had asked the council to support their cause. But conservative councils were concerned about the move.

The non-binding resolution passed the council by one vote Monday night.

Tax relief from gentrification

The Indianapolis City-County Council will formally ask the state legislature to allow it to help long-time residents of gentrifying neighborhoods cope with soaring property tax bills. Some downtown Indy neighborhoods have seen home values quadruple in just a few years.

City lawmakers want to be able to help limit the increase in tax bills for more established residents of those blocks that lived there before the neighborhood was popular. Such a program will need the support of the General Assembly in order to change the tax code.