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Homeowners in Mile Square may be charged an extra $250 a year to pay for security and homeless outreach downtown.
The fee, which would appear on property tax bills, is part of a measure being considered by the City-Council at their November meeting. Office buildings, hotels and parking areas would also receive an extra charge on their tax bill, amounting to about .17 percent of their assessed value.
The fee, which would start in 2025 and generate about $5.5 million a year, would support a low-barrier homeless shelter in the neighborhood, among other services. Downtown property owners would have an opportunity to help decide how the money is spent.
Many of these services are currently being provided by Downtown Indy, which is supported by federal pandemic relief funds. But those will run out next year, so the city is trying to act now. According to Axios, a similar measure considered in 2018 “met stiff opposition” from downtown property owners like the Indiana Apartment Association.
The measure will be considered by the full council this month.
This brief is adapted from notes taken by Documenter Danielle Drake, who covered the November City-County council meeting. Read more about what happened here. Want to join Documenters? Learn more here.
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