For months, the Lawrence Common Council has been at odds with Mayor Deb Whitfield over the 2026 budget planning process.
Councilors repeatedly criticized Whitfield, who they said has not been transparent or responsive during the budget process. A financial advisor backed out of working with the council in September, citing a “hostile situation” in the city. And now an Indianapolis City-County councilor has announced she will not seek re-election to council leadership in order to “protect the future” of Lawrence.
After weeks of contentious discussions, the Lawrence Common Council on Nov. 3 voted to approve the city’s 2026 budget by a vote of 7-2.
At the start of the meeting, several council members shared their concerns about next year’s budget and their frustrations with the administration during the budget process.
The 2026 budget spends more than Lawrence receives in revenue, which means the city will have to use its reserves to cover expenses. Council Vice President Zach Cramer said the Whitfield administration knew the budget was unbalanced when it was submitted.
“They knew it would drain the reserves and make it harder to demonstrate financial stability in the future,” Cramer said at the meeting. ‘“This wasn’t an oversight. This was a deliberate choice, and now, instead of owning that choice, they want this council to make the tough calls they avoided.”
Despite this, Cramer said he would still be voting to approve the budget.
“This vote is not an endorsement of how the budget was built,” Cramer said. “I’m voting to keep the city functioning, not because I believe that it’s a responsible budget.”
Per state law, councilors needed to approve the budget by Nov. 3. Otherwise, they would have to operate under the 2025 budget next year in a process known as “reversion.”
Councilors Rick Wells and Sherron Freeman voted to not approve the budget.
Council makes cuts
The council made about $745,000 in cuts to Whitfield’s proposed budget, including eliminating the funding for three positions in the Lawrence Police Department, cuts to the controller’s office and reduced travel funds for the Mayor’s Office.
When Whitfield presented the budget to councilors on Sept. 30, she also announced an immediate citywide hiring freeze.
“More cuts should have been made, but the Council did not want to cause lost (loss) of jobs because we were working fast,” said council President Betty Robinson in the email to Mirror Indy.
In a statement, Whitfield thanked the council for approving the budget and said local governments throughout the state “are now in the SEA 1 era,” referring to the state’s new property tax law.
“Despite the effects of SEA 1, which resulted in a $1.1 million loss in available property tax levy for 2026, the adopted budget retains all the high-level services, including public safety, that Lawrence residents have come to expect,” the statement read, in part. “It will be challenging, but our police, fire, streets, trash pick-up, code enforcement, and our wonderful parks will see no reduction or interruptions in service.”
Indianapolis City-County Councilor responds
On Tuesday afternoon, Indianapolis City-County councilor Ali Brown referenced the tension in Lawrence when she announced on Facebook she will not be seeking re-election as the council’s vice president. Brown represents District 10, which includes Lawrence.
In the post, Brown said she is “deeply troubled” by what she has seen regarding the management of Lawrence.
“Watching the Lawrence Common Council’s discussion about the Mayor’s 2026 budget last night filled me with great concern,” Brown wrote. “The direction our city appears to be heading threatens the strength and stability of the community we have all worked so hard to build.”
Brown said the move would allow her to focus her full attention on the residents of Lawrence.
“I remain committed to standing up for Lawrence and doing everything in my power to secure a stronger, more stable future for our community,” she said in the post.
A clarification was made on November 5, 2025. Ali Brown announced she will not seek re-election to council leadership.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian or on Bluesky @darianbenson.bsky.social.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
