The Sunday Post - August 16, 2026: Flood Safety, the 2027 Budget, and the Cost of Housing
- Michael-Paul Hart
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
A weekly report from Councilor Michael-Paul Hart — Building the Smartest City in America.
Volume 2, Issue 33
The Flooding: Please Stay Safe
This week much of our city is dealing with serious flooding, and my first message is the simplest one. Please stay safe.
If you are in an affected area, do not drive through standing water. It is deeper and moving faster than it looks, and it is the leading cause of flood deaths. Turn around, do not drown.
The Department of Public Works has been monitoring river levels around the clock, and our emergency teams have been coordinating the response all week, including emergency briefings for the Council. I am grateful to the crews who have been out in it.
For the latest updates, sandbag information, and to report a stormwater or drainage problem, the best resource is indy.gov/activity/stormwater. If you are facing an emergency, always call 911.
If your street or your home has been affected, please reach out. I want to make sure residents get connected to the help they need.
The 2027 Budget, and Proof the Road Plan Works
On Monday, the administration introduced the proposed 2027 city budget. At about $1.9 billion, up 11 percent from last year, it is a record.
I want to focus on where that growth comes from, because it matters. Property tax revenue is up about $47 million, and income tax revenue is up about $41 million, compared to last year.
That income-tax growth is exactly what my road-funding plan is built on. It is new money the city takes in as our economy grows, without raising anyone's rate.
And here is the part worth underlining. The administration's own plan secures this year's $50 million state road match from income tax, stormwater, and budget fiscals. Not one dollar of it comes from the wheel tax. That is the point I have been making since the spring. We could meet this match without reaching deeper into your pockets.
The budget now moves into committee hearings over the next several weeks, where each department presents and answers questions, and I will be in the room on your behalf.
A Word on the Wheel Tax
The new Marion County vehicle excise surtax and wheel-tax rates take effect January 1, 2027.
I try to keep these updates focused on the work and away from politics. This week I am going to make a brief exception.
I disagreed with raising the wheel tax, and reasonable people can disagree on a vote. But after the override passed, some of my colleagues celebrated. Raising a tax on working families is not something to celebrate.
To be fair, not everyone did, and not everyone even voted for it. But to those who cheered, I would only ask that they remember the families who now pay about $70 more/ Per car every year, and $240 for a small utility trailer used a few times a year, whether they can spare it or not.
While some may say, $70 "is not that much" I believe there is shortsightedness in that assessment - the cost of living is increasing on everything: food, vehicles, and especially housing, which I will talk about next.
What MIBOR Showed Me About the Cost of a Home
This week I stopped by the MIBOR Housing Summit, where the theme was housing availability and affordability. It is a conversation Indianapolis needs to have honestly.
Here is the challenge. Indiana has long been a place with a low to moderate cost of living. That is changing. In July, the median price of a single-family home in central Indiana reached $330,000, higher than a year ago, and while inventory is finally rising, supply is still tight by any historical measure.
One point stuck with me. The margins to build lower-cost homes often are not there, so builders build at higher price points, and people are still buying them. But the demand for affordable, entry-level housing is every bit as real, and right now it is going unmet.
As a policymaker, I look at this through a specific lens. The more we can get government out of the way while keeping building safe, the more housing we can actually deliver. That is a high priority for me.
It is also exactly what our SmartIndy Housing and Homelessness Committee is taking on. We meet next week, on the 20th. In the past we have conversed with developers to work through the practical questions. What can we change locally to speed up permitting and lower its cost? How do we reduce the burden on non-profit developers so they can spend more of their capital serving people, and less of it navigating process?
If you want to dig into the numbers, MIBOR's full July market report is here:
A Hidden Gem on the East Side: The Marriott East
I toured the Marriott East at 21st and Shadeland this week, and I was blown away.
Over the past year, the hotel has invested about $25 million renovating the entire property. The rooms, the meeting rooms, the hallways, the lobby, and the restaurant. Until the Signia is finished, it is the second-largest full-service hotel in Indianapolis by ballroom space, and it is an absolute gem.
I know it sits just outside my district, but I am doing my part to bring our influencers to it. The Indy Chamber, Visit Indy, the City of Indianapolis, and MSD of Warren Township all need to see and use this space.
So here is my ask. The next time you are planning an event, think about the Marriott East. A wedding, a dance competition, a dog show, or your company's holiday party, big or small. The hospitality there is genuine and the people are first class.
When we invest in the large anchors on the east side, the whole area around them improves. This one is worth protecting, and we all have a part to play.
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See you next week with more updates from the Neighborhood.
Thank You Councilor Hart!
YOU are truly doing “the people’s work.” I grew up in Warren Township. It sorely needs an advocate, and it’s soo refreshing to see a true warrior for the Eastside…finally!
Thank you for representing your district with such knowledge about the needs of the area, and the energy to do something about it!!
Cindy B.