Todd Wilson says being the director of the Department of Public Works is already one of the best jobs he’s ever had.
That might sound unusual considering the complaints that the city receives about road conditions, but Wilson is optimistic that, in a few years time, residents will see a noticeable difference.
After several years working in state government and in the private sector, Wilson’s newest role is something of a homecoming for him, having worked in the city’s engineering department from 2013 to 2021.
“I’ve managed hundreds of construction projects for the city. I know this roadway network. I know the people,” said Wilson, 47, who became director in February. “I know the problems that we have, and I know I can help our department get to where we need to be for the residents here.”
There’s another reason Wilson is excited to have this job.
He stepped into the role a few months after state lawmakers passed legislation to give Indy access to an additional $50 million per year in state road funding — so long as the city matches that dollar amount. Mayor Joe Hogsett has said he’s committed to finding the money without raising taxes.
“We’re going to see construction all over the city starting in 2027, and we’re going to be addressing all of the needs that our residents have been worried about,” Wilson said.
But Wilson knows that an additional $100 million per year won’t solve all of the city’s infrastructure problems.
The plan
Last month, Wilson presented DPW’s proposed 2026 budget to members of the City-County Council.
Next to police and fire services, DPW occupies the largest share of city spending: The department’s budget is $257 million in 2026, accounting for about 15% of the city’s $1.7 billion proposed budget.
That number still falls well short of the city’s needs. A 2019 study by Indianapolis-based engineering firm HNTB Corp. found that Indianapolis would need more than $500 million per year, on top of its existing spending, to properly maintain its thoroughfares and residential streets. And that was six years ago.
City officials have long pointed out that the state’s road funding formula puts urban areas at a disadvantage. That’s because the formula doesn’t account for the number of lanes on a road.
Those issues notwithstanding, some members of the City-County Council say the department could be doing more to address the plague of potholes dotting the city’s 8,400 lane miles of roads.
“This budget is not enough to address residential streets,” said Councilor Jared Evans, a Democrat who represents parts of the west side, during DPW’s August budget hearing. “This is what we’re getting beat up on consistently from our residents.”
Councilor Crista Carlino, another westside Democrat, questioned why some residents in her district are still waiting on sidewalk improvements that were promised two years ago.
“It’s difficult to get excited to appropriate another $1.5 million for community projects when we’ve been waiting for years,” Carlino said at the meeting.
Wilson knows the challenges he faces, but he believes focusing more on long-term road preservation, rather than temporary quick fixes like strip patching, will deliver results.
“Strip patching is a means for emergency repairs, but we want to come up with strategies on making sure we extend the lifecycle of all of our pavement network throughout the city,” Wilson said. “That’s what I’ve been about.”
Staffing woes
As of July 31, DPW was short 15 engineers. That’s in large part because many of those positions are highly specialized technical jobs that offer higher pay in the private sector, Wilson said.
“It’s just the market and being able to keep up with the private sector, and the city of Indianapolis, we just can’t at this time,” Wilson said.
Councilor Josh Bain, a southside Republican, asked during the committee meeting if having more engineers would result in better road conditions.
Wilson replied that Bain was “probably right” but said “it’s a hard question to answer if our output is directly a result of our staffing.”
Some councilors have questioned whether removing the city’s requirement that most employees live in Marion County would help address staffing shortages across multiple agencies.
Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, another southside Republican, authored a proposal to do just that, but it failed to gain support from a majority of councilors.
When asked by Bain if removing the residency requirement would help address the department’s hiring challenges, Wilson simply replied, “Yes.”
Hart’s proposal failed in an 18-7 vote at the Sept. 8 council meeting, with Nick Roberts, a northside Democrat, joining the six Republicans on council in support of the measure.
What’s next?
The council’s Public Works Committee plans to conduct a review and analysis of DPW’s budget at its Sept. 25 meeting, which is set for 5:30 p.m. on the second floor of the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St.
Members of the public can sign up to speak prior to the meeting.
The City-County Council plans to vote and adopt a final city budget at its Oct. 6 meeting.
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Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
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