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Gary council approves emergency preparedness grant amendment, sends budgets to committee and passes redistricting-opposition resolution
Summary
At its Sept. 2 meeting the council approved an amended $48,520 public health emergency preparedness grant ordinance, sent several budget bills to committee, and passed an 8–0 resolution opposing a proposed mid-decade redistricting special session.
The Gary Common Council took multiple formal actions on Sept. 2, including amending and approving an emergency preparedness grant ordinance, referring several budget ordinances to committee, and passing a resolution opposing a proposed special session to redraw congressional districts.
Emergency preparedness grant (CPO 2025‑47): Controller Salita Green explained a minor amendment to align the ordinance’s year with attached budget documents so the $48,520 grant is recorded for the fiscal period July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026. The amendment by substitution moved dates in the ordinance; the council approved the amendment and then the ordinance itself by roll-call votes recorded as 8–0. Staff described two grant-funded positions (fiscal logistics coordinator, $11,000; emergency clearance coordinator, $15,000) and line‑item shifts for materials, printing and training.
Budget referrals (CPO 2025‑48, 2025‑49 and others): Several multi-department budget ordinances and appropriations for public-transportation, redevelopment, parks, police and fire, pensions and tax‑based funds were read into the record and sent back to committee for further review. The council voted 8–0 to send CPO 2025‑48 back to committee (finance) and to refer other items to committee; committee meetings were scheduled for Sept. 9 with a council public hearing set for Sept. 16 where applicable.
Resolution opposing special-session redistricting (CPR 2025‑06): The council suspended the rules and passed CPR 2025‑06, authored by Councilman Washington and co‑sponsored by Councilwoman Linda Barnes Caldwell, opposing a proposed special session to redraw Indiana congressional districts. Sponsors argued the state conducted redistricting about three years prior and described the move as unnecessary and politically motivated; they cited a reported cost of approximately $260,000 for a special session. The suspension of rules and final passage were both recorded 8–0.
Votes at a glance
- Approval of minutes (prior meeting): 6–0 (roll call). - CPO 2025‑47 (emergency preparedness grant): amended by substitution (8–0); ordinance approved as amended (8–0). - CPO 2025‑42 (rezoning 5339 W. Fifteenth Ave.): deferred to next meeting (8–0). - CPO 2025‑48 (parks/police/fire/pension budgets): sent back to committee (8–0). - CPO 2025‑49: sent to finance committee (8–0). - CPR 2025‑06 (resolution opposing special-session redistricting): rules suspended and resolution passed on all three readings (8–0).
Next steps: Several items will return to committee for more review or be scheduled for public hearings on Sept. 9 and Sept. 16; the council requested department-level three‑year budget comparisons for upcoming committee review.
