The Sunday Post - August 2, 2026: Washington Square Monday, a Ride-Along, and the Data Center Dollars
- Michael-Paul Hart
- Aug 2
- 4 min read
A weekly report from Councilor Michael-Paul Hart — Building the Smartest City in America.
Volume 2, Issue 31
Washington Square: Please Join Us Monday Night
Tomorrow, Monday, August 3 at 6:00 PM (Doors open at 5:30), we are holding a community meeting on the sponsodred vision plan of the Washington Square Mall. It is at the Warren Central School Administration Building, 975 North Post Road, and I would be glad to see you there.
This has been a true community effort, with partners including, Neighbors, the Business Tenants, LISC Indianapolis, Ball State University, and the Town of Cumberland. Washington Square is one of the most important redevelopment opportunities on the east side, and the plan reflects what residents asked for.
Once the plan is finalized, I will host the full document on my website so anyone can read it, whether or not they can attend. But if you can come Monday, please do. Your voice belongs in this.
A Friday Night Ride-Along with IMPD
On Friday night, I spent a shift with Sergeant Rosenburg and Officer Barron in the IMPD Downtown District.
It was one of the most educational nights I have had in this role. I learned how officers receive their information, how they use their tools, and how fast they have to read a situation and decide what to do.
Later I walked the downtown district on foot with the Sergeant, and that is where I saw community policing in its truest form. He knew the people managing the bars, they knew him by name, and the relationships were genuine. When residents ask for community policing, what I watched on Friday night is exactly what they mean.
I came away with a great deal to think about for future planning, and with even more respect for the men and women who do this work. Thank you to Sergeant Rosenburg, Officer Barron, and the entire Downtown District for having me.
One more thing from the district. After I was out and shared my social stories, several neighbors reached out about vehicle break-ins in their neighborhoods, and I am following up on it directly. A number of residents have sent me videos and asked for help. If this is happening on your street, please report it to IMPD and send me a note so I can track the pattern and press for a response. These cases are far easier to act on when we can show the department where and how often they are happening.
OPHS Reporting Is Now Happening
Regular readers know I have pushed for stronger reporting and accountability from the Office of Public Health and Safety, known as OPHS. This week I received the results of that push.
OPHS delivered its July monthly report, along with a Winter Contingency report and a quarterly report. This is exactly the kind of consistent, transparent reporting I have been asking for, and the department deserves credit for it.
OPHS will present the Winter Contingency Report to the Blueprint Council on Tuesday, August 4, and plans to release it publicly in the days after. Out of respect for that process, I will hold the specifics until it is public, and I will walk through the highlights with you in next week's Sunday Post.
Reporting is not the flashy part of local government. But you cannot hold a program accountable for results you cannot see, and now we can see them.
At the Audit Committee: Following the Data Center Dollars
On Friday morning I attended the Indianapolis and Marion County Audit Committee meeting. While we reviewed the prior years' fiscal positions, I raised a question I have been working on: the growth of personal property tax revenue from data centers.
Here is why it matters. A data center brings in a large amount of taxable equipment, and
that equipment is assessed as personal property. As these projects come online, that part of the tax base grows. I want to understand exactly how much, and how quickly, because every new dollar the city already collects is a dollar we should account for before we ever talk about asking residents for more.
That is the mindset I try to bring to the budget. Know what is already coming in, line by line, before deciding how to pay for roads, public safety, and the services people count on. It is not the flashy part of the job, but it is how you protect taxpayers.
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See you next week with more updates from the Neighborhood.
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