The Sunday Post - October 18, 2026: A $1.89 Billion Vote, Flock Cameras, and a Housing Catch-22
A weekly report from Councilor Michael-Paul Hart — Building the Smartest City in America.
Volume 2, Issue 42
Monday Night, and Where I Land on Flock
Monday is a big night at the Council.
The 2027 budget gets its final vote. Two weeks ago I asked you to come to the public hearing, if you did you did. Thank you. After three months of hearings, the Council will decide on a $1.89 billion city and county budget.
There is another issue I want to address, even though it is not currently on Monday's agenda. It can still be added by procedure, I only have a draft agenda as recent at Friday, October 16th.
Late this week, I received a proposed ordinance from a fellow councilor that would establish new rules for surveillance technology, including the Flock license plate cameras used by IMPD.
Here is where I stand. I support keeping Flock, with real guardrails.
Removing the cameras entirely is not the right answer for public safety. But giving government unrestricted access to surveillance technology is not the right answer either.
I believe we need some basic protections:
Council approval before new purchases, expanded uses, or new data-sharing agreements.
Clear limits on who can access the data and how long it is kept.
Required training for anyone using the system.
Regular audits tying individual searches to legitimate investigations.
Annual public reporting on costs, results, and compliance.
I think those are reasonable expectations for any technology government uses to monitor the public.
There are still questions I need answered about the proposed ordinance. Should residents have a private right to sue? How should violations be enforced? And what authority does the Council actually have under Indiana law?
Those are questions I want our legal counsel to review before we move forward.
I am also asking IMPD and Flock to come before a Council committee for a full public demonstration.
Not a PowerPoint presentation. I want the public to see the actual system, how officers search it, what information is available, and what safeguards exist. Councilors and the public should have an opportunity to ask questions.
This technology can be a valuable tool for solving crimes. But the public deserves to understand how it works, and we have a responsibility to make sure it is being used appropriately.
There is no need to rush this. Let's get the answers, put the technology in front of the public, and make an informed decision.
How I Got Here, and What This Job Actually Is
Wednesday I joined the Leadership Circle cohort at the Indiana Latino Institute to share my story and talk about how local government actually works.
I told them how I went from working as an HVAC technician and attending IT classes at night to serving on the City-County Council. I had no political connections. I got involved because I had kids, started paying attention, and kept showing up.
We also talked about what councilors actually do. So much of this job is operational, not partisan. Roads, public safety, infrastructure, and basic city services. There is no Republican or Democratic way to fix a lift station.
One point the emcee kept coming back to was that councilors serve in part-time positions while maintaining their own careers. I appreciated him pointing that out because most people don't realize how much time goes into this work. It takes a real commitment to serve your community while balancing a career and family.
I appreciated the opportunity to share some stories, answer questions, and hopefully give the group a better understanding of how decisions get made in Indianapolis.
16th Annual Community Justice Academy
Wednesday evening I attended the opening session of the 16th annual Community Justice
Academy, focused on youth violence and what young people need from their community.
One statistic stood out. Of 72 cases reviewed, 25 started with young people arguing online and ended in homicide. Social media disputes, initiating gun sales online, and peer pressure are creating real consequences on our streets.
We heard about prevention programs through the Prosecutor's Office and Mayor's Office, particularly around career development. I think that is an important part of the solution, but I left wondering how we measure success and whether we are reaching enough young people.
The biggest takeaway for me was simple: Kids need something to do and somewhere to belong. We need to involve them in finding solutions, give them opportunities, and follow through.
One line I wrote down was about giving just one kid a chance. We have a lot of untapped talent in Indianapolis. The challenge is connecting those young people with opportunities before they head down the wrong path.
The Rule That Keeps Kids Out of Apartments
Thursday morning I had a meeting at Sero's with Lois Montgomery, founder of Bridging Place, a nonprofit helping young adults transition out of foster care.
Her organization is starting with basic needs and life-skills support for about 30 young adults, with longer-term goals of improving transportation access and developing transitional housing.
One challenge she shared really stood out to me.
There is grant funding available to cover rent, but many apartments require tenants to earn three times the monthly rent to qualify. Even with funding to pay the rent, these young adults can still be denied housing.
It is a practical problem that deserves a practical solution. I want to better understand whether landlord partnerships or other arrangements could help overcome that barrier.
Before we finished, I offered to connect Lois with Andrew Neal at Outreach Indiana, who also works in youth housing. Within a few hours, they were talking. I have a few more people on my list I am excited to connect with Lois.
Sometimes the most useful thing I can do as a councilor is connect people working on similar problems. I plan to keep making those connections.
Lieber State Park (Cagles Mills Lake)
Friday and Saturday I took my son fishing and camping at Lieber State Recreation Area out on Cagles Mill Lake.
We got a quick reminder that fall is here. It was cold and gray the whole time and we did not catch a thing.
We hiked the trails, cooked over the fire, and had a great couple of days anyway.
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See you next week with more updates from the Neighborhood.
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