Public-safety portion of 2026 budget approved by committee amid debate over police vehicles, immigration and detention funding

The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee voted Wednesday to approve two consent items adopting the 2026 tax levy and rate for the Fire Special Service District (proposals 256 and 257) and to adopt the committee’s portion of the 2026 City of Indianapolis and Marion County budget (proposal 259). The committee carried the budget portion by roll-call vote after public discussion.

Controller Abby Hanson, who presented administrative details, described the proposals for the committee as routine administrative actions for the special service district council and the committee’s appropriations.

On the record: the committee adopted proposals 256 and 257 by voice vote; it approved proposal 259 (the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee portion of the 2026 annual budget) by roll call. The roll call included the following recorded votes: Boots — aye; Carlino — no; Bellany — aye; Graves — aye; Hart — no; Mascari — aye; McCormick — aye; Mowery — aye; Perkins — yes; Robinson (chair) — aye. The committee reported the motion as carried.

Why it matters: The passage approves the committee’s recommended appropriations for public-safety agencies for the 2026 fiscal year and moves those recommendations forward in the council’s budget process. Committee members noted remaining policy and operational concerns they said should be addressed separately.

Substantive concerns raised during debate - Police vehicles: Multiple councilors said planned fleet or vehicle support for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was not included in this portion of the budget. One councilor announced an amendment he plans to bring on Oct. 6 to add funding for vehicles, saying vehicles are essential to officer morale and recruitment. The amendment’s specifics were not provided during the meeting. - Public defender and grants: Councilors raised outstanding issues about the public defender agency and several grant dollars they said need follow-up; committee members urged staff and administration to resolve those concerns in upcoming budget cycles or amendments. - Sheriff, detention and ICE cooperation: A councilor expressed concern about the sheriff’s office and the county’s detention operations, specifically unpaid detention reimbursement from the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) and cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); that councilor said the committee’s intent in earlier meetings was to examine the basis for detention cooperation to ensure it is proper. - Immigrant legal defense fund: Andrew Merkley, director of the Office of Public Health and Safety, stated the administration will fund the immigrant legal defense fund at the same amount as in 2025; he said the administration and community partners would continue to support that program. "We will be able to fund the immigrant legal defense fund at the same amount as 2025," Merkley said.

Votes at a glance - Proposal 256-2025: Approve tax levy and rate for Fire Special Service District for 2026 — adopted (consent, voice vote). Motion/second: not specified. - Proposal 257-2025: Adopt related tax-rate subsection for police (administrative) — adopted (consent, voice vote). Motion/second: not specified. - Proposal 259-2025: Adoption of annual budget for the City of Indianapolis and Marion County (Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee portion only) — adopted by roll call (motion carried). Motion/second: not specified. Recorded votes shown above.

What the committee did not do - The committee did not include the proposed police vehicle funding in this adoption; one councilor said he will present a separate amendment on Oct. 6. - Specific dollar amounts for the immigrant legal defense fund in 2026 were not stated during the meeting; Director Merkley said it will be funded at the same 2025 level but did not state that level on the record at this meeting.

Next steps - The budget portions approved by this committee will move forward to the council process consistent with the city-county budget calendar. Committee members indicated they will pursue follow-up work on fleet funding, the public defender agency and detention/ICE issues in future sessions or amendments.