In preparation for Indy’s upcoming local elections, IndyHub ran YP Perspectives: The 2015 Indy Election Series. These articles explore important community issues that will be directly impacted by this election. We serve as a platform for these conversations. We care that you vote–not how you vote. In the event you’re still deciding, here are answers to a few questions you might be interested in: transit, education and entrepreneurship.
Transportation
What should our transportation priority or goal be – focusing on increased ridership or geographic coverage of service?
Brewer: In order to have a successful transportation system, we need to accomplish both goals. Increased ridership is necessary to create a more sustainable funding model that does not saddle the city with a massive amount of debt. Improving our geographic coverage of services and specifically the availability of convenient and efficient routes is critical to providing the type of transportation options that people want and need to get to work, school, health care, and recreational activities.
Hogsett: We need to strike a balance between ridership and coverage. From a financial and environmental perspective, focusing transit on high-density, high-ridership areas makes sense. However, transit options should also exist for people in low-density areas, both to allow these areas to grow economically and to provide transportation options for people who are low-income or have mobility issues.
What steps would you take if the 2016 transit referendum does not pass?
Hogsett: Upgrading our transit system is a significant investment, and I support putting this decision in the hands of the voters of Indianapolis. I’ll wait until the voters have spoken on the referendum to address the outcome, but it is clear that we would need to continue exploring ways to expand transit opportunities for all Indianapolis residents.
Brewer: It is important that voters have a voice in this proposal. If a 2016 transit referendum does not pass, it means the case has not effectively been made to support a tax increase investment at that level. I think we need to be creative and open to developing a variety of transit options so that we can make progress along the way.
Education
How will you advocate for Indianapolis schools in your interactions with the state government, in terms of testing and other state-level decisions?
Brewer: I will be a fierce advocate for our city on a variety of issues, including education. One of my top priorities is to get the State to expand access for high quality pre-K education for our children. We are one of only a few states without a broad state-funded program. Studies prove that getting kids on the right path at an early age is critical and can yield huge dividends. Mayor Ballard led the effort to get the corporate community on board to launch pre-K in Indy. Unfortunately, while approximately 1,300 families benefitted, nearly 4,000 more applied and weren’t covered.
Hogsett: I believe the mayor must be a tireless advocate for our city’s schools – both locally, and at the General Assembly. That’s why one of my first actions if elected will be to convene our school superintendents to ensure we have a unified, city-wide message on key challenges that don’t recognize school district lines – one-third of our children live in poverty, graduation rates continue to stagnate, and too many kids lack access to early childhood education. I also plan to engage with Governor Pence and our state legislators to pursue a state-funded Pre-K program that provides access for all children in Indianapolis.
How will you ensure the consistent quality of new charter schools opened in the city?
Hogsett: The goal for our schools is very simple: improving educational outcomes for our children and their families. That’s why my administration would emphasize quality — not quantity — when it comes to mayoral-sponsored charter schools in Indianapolis. As I outline in my education policy platform, I believe the city and the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation must focus on improving standards and accountability for all of our public schools, whether they be charter or more traditional neighborhood schools.
Brewer: Charter schools can provide a quality educational option to meet the needs of our students who, in some circumstances, are not receiving the type of education they seek or deserve at their traditional public school. Some charter schools meet unique needs for students. We will seek to replicate the most successful high quality charter schools. It is crucial, however, that we maintain rigorous oversight to ensure charter schools are performing well, producing results, and improving student outcomes. We will hold charter schools accountable and if they cannot meet the standard, they will be closed.
Entrepreneurship/Talent Attraction
What initiatives will you continue or start to make Indianapolis a more appealing place for young professionals to begin their careers (and stay here)?
Brewer: We are in a great position to attract young professionals. We have invested in quality of life issues like bike lanes and trails. We have a vibrant downtown and a variety of dining and entertainment options. From great spaces to bike-share and now Blue Indy, Mayor Ballard has put us on pace to rival some of the amenities of other popular big cities. All that, combined with a relatively low cost of living positions us well. We should continue these efforts but also improve our public education system so we don’t lose residents when they decide to start a family.
Hogsett: Attracting and retaining talent is vital to the prosperity of our city, and as I outline in my neighborhoods plan, it all begins with quality of life. We should continue to invest in amenities like the cultural trail, parks and greenways, and the arts that make the city attractive to young people. A particular focus of my administration will be making more of our neighborhoods safe, thriving and culturally-rich communities where young people want to live by identifying areas of common history and assets and implementing quality of life plans for all Indianapolis neighborhoods.
What will you do to help create a business culture in Indianapolis that is more supportive of risk-taking and innovative entrepreneurship?
Hogsett: As mayor I would cut the red tape to encourage small-business development in Indianapolis. My administration will explore offering low-cost shared-space buildings, business centers, and small loans for startup companies as well as providing building and zoning permit fee waivers for small businesses in targeted areas.
Brewer: As someone who researched cities and chose Indianapolis to start my first business (and my second), I know first-hand the types of things entrepreneurs are looking for and I’m in a unique position to help recruit them. We should encourage risk-taking and we should embrace innovation. Those investments and opportunities will make our city even stronger.
Based in part on the Launch Fishers model, I have proposed developing more co-location and collaboration spaces across our city. I also proposed a Buy Indy program designed to connect local small businesses with anchor institutions to shift more business to our local innovators.
