Indiana

A ?New? C.I.B.

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Governor Mitch Daniels and Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard are calling for a new Capital Improvement Board that would oversee Conseco Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil, the new Convention Center and the major City-County properties.

The New CIB would combine the Marion County Building Authority and create the Facilities Management Board would be created.  It would create a purchasing consortium to achieve savings.  The FMB would oversee the jail and arrestee processing center, juvenile justice complex and public safety communications.

The new head of the CIB would be the President of the Convention and Visitors Association.

The mayor would get three appointees, the governor - 2, the City-County Council - 1, County Commissioner  - 2.

It would expand the PSDA to include the four major hotels near the Convention Center. There would also be increases in hotel/motel tax, car rental tax and ticket tax.

The plan would save $47 million by capturing $27 million in expense cuts and $20 million in revenue.

• $13 million - from combined operation efficiencies of the CIB and Marion County Building Authority
• $10 million - previous CIB cuts
• $4 million - credit back up to cover CIB debt service obligation
• $4 million - hotel tax from 9 to 10 percent.
• $6 million - increase in Marion County admissions tax from 6 to 10 percent
• $2 million - increase in car rental tax from 4 to 6 percent
• $8 million - expansion of Professional Sports Development Area

Auditors hired by the Daniels administration did a comparison of the CIB operations to cities of similar sizes and found it spent an average of $3.42 for every $1.36 spent by other cities.

You can download a copy of the CIB Fact Sheet here.  New CIB Fact Sheet

And audio from today’s press event can be found here.  Daniels/Ballard News Conference on CIB

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on June 04, 2009 (boomark / email).