PREPARATION AND INTRODUCTION OF PROPOSALS

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code tit. I, ch. 151, art. V

in effect

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 151-61 Designation of proposals.

Sec. 151-61. - Designation of proposals. (a) Any proposal for action by a council by ordinance or general resolution shall be in writing and entitled in the following form: "a proposal for a _______," inserting therein the class of ordinance or general resolution and the subject matter of the proposal. (b) Any proposal which contemplates a resolution or other action by a council in the nature of a memorial, commendation or other admonishment or proclamation shall be designated "a proposal for a special resolution." The proposal shall be properly before the council for final action unless the president or the council refers or tables the proposal. If eight (8) councilors so request, the proposal shall be referred to a committee. The following guidelines shall apply to all Special Resolutions: (1) Memorials: a. Must be a deceased person recognized county or state-wide. i. The named individual may only be recognized once. b. Must be a milestone event or anniversary recognized county or state-wide. c. Nationally recognized events must have specific significance locally. i. Nationally recognized events may not be slated for the agenda if time is of the essence for any particular month. (2) Commendations/Admonishments/Proclamations: a. Subject matter: i. Must be of general interest and within the power and jurisdiction of the Council. ii. Must be something generally known to be supported by a substantial portion of the councilors and the county-wide citizenry. iii. Should not be politically partisan or potentially or intentionally divisive to the community at large. b. Must be a living person recognized county or state-wide: i. Individual or group must not have received a similar recognition from the council within the last year (unless it is a state-wide sporting championship). c. Must be a milestone event or anniversary. (3) Other restrictions or guidelines a. No special resolutions will be introduced during city-county annual budget deliberations (currently August through October). b. A maximum of two (2) speakers, speaking no more than two (2) minutes each, will be allowed per resolution. c. Each councilor can lead-sponsor no more than three (3) special resolutions per calendar year. d. Special resolutions should be no more than one page (not including signatures). e. Exceptions to these guidelines may be made for city-sponsored events or people. f. The president shall have the power to make the final determination as to whether a matter meets the guidelines spelled out herein or determine which matters will be added to the agenda. g. Proposals not meeting the requirements in this section shall be eligible for an individual proclamation from the individual councilor. (c) Any proposal which contemplates action relating only to the internal procedures of a council, its finances or its staff, or relates to appointments, removal of appointments or confirmation of appointments made exclusively by the council, shall be designated "a proposal for a council resolution." The proposal shall be properly before the council for final action at the same meeting at which it is introduced, unless the president or the council refers or postpones it. (d) All other actions of a council shall be taken by ordinance or general resolution. Ordinances or general resolutions shall be designated in one (1) of the following classes: (1) General ordinances, which shall include all ordinances of general application to the public; (2) Fiscal ordinances, which shall include all ordinances establishing annual budget or appropriations, and any revisions to such budgets or appropriations; (3) Special ordinances, which shall include ordinances of special application or private concessions; (4) Rezoning ordinances, which are zoning map changes certified by the metropolitan development commission; (5) General resolutions, which are resolutions effecting official actions of governmental or general application; (6) "Pass Across the Desk" resolutions, which will be treated and introduced in the same manner as a special resolution however, there will be no presentation or speaking time during the council meeting. There will be no limit on the number of "Pass Across the Desk" resolutions that a councilor may submit. (e) Proposals for action by a special service district council shall be designated similarly including the respective council. (G.O. 68, 1988, § 6; G.O. 144, 1993, § 1; G.O. 22, 2019, § 1; G.O. 39, 2024, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 151-62 Drafting of proposals and approval as to form.

Sec. 151-62. - Drafting of proposals and approval as to form. The general counsel, upon request of any member of a council, a department director, the county auditor, the city controller or other person authorized by law to initiate an ordinance or resolution shall review any suggested ordinance or resolution and cause the suggested ordinance or resolution to be placed in proper form for initiation and shall draft appropriate proposals for any member of a council or city or county official. Such requests shall be made sufficiently in advance as to give adequate time for compliance with the request. The general counsel shall, within five (5) working days after receiving the request, advise when the requested action will be completed. In general, the general counsel shall have five (5) working days in which to draft fiscal ordinances or Code amendments. If the general counsel has previously reviewed the proposal, the general counsel shall have at least three (3) working days in which to place the proposal in final form and approve it for initiation. If the general counsel refuses to approve a proposal for introduction, the general counsel shall so advise in writing stating briefly those reasons. (G.O. 68, 1988, § 6; G.O. 144, 1993, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 151-63 Procedures for introduction of proposals.

Sec. 151-63. - Procedures for introduction of proposals. (a) Councilors or other persons authorized by law may initiate proposals for introduction by submitting such proposals to the clerk for review by the general counsel as to form and legality. If such person is not a councilor, the person shall indicate the councilor who has agreed to sponsor the proposal. Councilors or other persons authorized by law may not refile the same or substantively the same proposal within a six (6) month period without first obtaining the president's approval. (b) If such proposal is approved by the general counsel and was submitted by noon on the fifth business day prior to the date the preliminary agenda is to become available to the public pursuant to section 151-95(2)(b)3., the proposal shall be entered on the agenda of that meeting for introduction. (c) The deadline established by subsection (b) may be waived only by the president of the council. (G.O. 144, 1993, § 1; G.O. 5, 2023, § 2; G.O. 55, 2023, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 151-64 Fiscal ordinances.

Sec. 151-64. - Fiscal ordinances. (a) No proposal for a fiscal ordinance shall be initiated unless approved by the controller or unless the controller has been notified by the clerk of its receipt at least seven (7) days before introduction. Any proposal for a fiscal ordinance appropriating or transferring funds shall not be approved for introduction if any of the financial data or reports required by this Code are delinquent as to a fund which is the subject of such proposal. (b) No proposal for a fiscal ordinance of the city or county shall be initiated unless the proposal includes (with respect to each fund from which as additional appropriation is proposed) the previous year's closing fund balance and a projection of the current year's ending fund balance if the proposal were to be adopted; however, this subsection shall not apply to a proposal for a fiscal ordinance funded by a grant that requires no matching funds. (c) Any proposal for a fiscal ordinance (except the annual budgets) which appropriates the proceeds of any state, federal or private grant shall include substantially the following language: Except to the extent of matching funds, if any, approved in this ordinance, the council does not intend to use the revenues from any local tax regardless of source to supplement or extend the appropriation for the agencies or projects authorized by this ordinance. The supervisor of the agency or project, or both, and the controller are directed to notify in writing the city-county council immediately upon receipt of any information that the agency or project is, or may be, reduced or eliminated. (d) The digest of any proposal for a fiscal ordinance shall identify the fund appropriated including a statement of the revenue source for the appropriation. (e) When a request for an additional appropriation from unappropriated funds is submitted to the council by any city-county agency (including a court), the chief financial officer of the city-county council or his/her designee shall review the policies and expenditures of the requesting agency and may submit a report to the appropriate council committee containing a recommendation with regard to the additional appropriation. (G.O. 68, 1988, § 6; G.O. 82, 1994, § 1; G.O. 94, 1994, § 1; G.O. 119, 1996, § 1; G.O. 94, 2002, § 1; G.O. 73, 2005, § 6)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 151-65 Rezoning ordinances.

Sec. 151-65. - Rezoning ordinances. Rezoning ordinances are proposed ordinances certified from the metropolitan development commission changing zone maps incorporated by reference into the zoning ordinance. (G.O. 68, 1988, § 6)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 151-66 Requirements for proposals concerning real estate transactions.

Sec. 151-66. - Requirements for proposals concerning real estate transactions. Any proposal for an ordinance or resolution which contemplates the approval of the acquisition or disposal (whether by sale or by lease) of real property shall not be introduced unless either (1) the transfer will occur only after a public bidding process or (2) the owner of property which is to be acquired or the transferee of property which is to be acquired is identified in the proposal. For purposes of this section, "owner" or "transferee" shall mean all persons or firms owning or acquiring ten (10) percent or more of the equity in the property and, with respect to any firm owning ten (10) percent or more of the equity, any persons or firms owning ten (10) percent or more of the equity of such firms. (G.O. 52, 1990, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 151-67 Oversight of Indianapolis Pre-K Program.

Sec. 151-67. - Oversight of Indianapolis Pre-K Program. The education committee shall, among other responsibilities, have oversight responsibility for the budget and expenditures of the Indianapolis Pre-K Program. (Ord. No. 59, 2014, § 3; G.O. 46, 2018, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 151-68 Review of tax rates, levies and budgets of civil units.

Sec. 151-68. - Review of tax rates, levies and budgets of civil units. (a) This section shall apply to review of tax rates, levies and budgets submitted to the city-county council pursuant to IC 6-1.1-17-20. (b) With respect to a governing body of a taxing unit that is required to submit its proposed budget and property tax levy to the city-county council for adoption by the city-county council under IC 6-1.1-17-20: (1) The governing body shall submit its proposed budget and tax levy to the city-county council before September 2. (2) The general counsel shall prepare an appropriate proposal for a fiscal ordinance adopting a final budget and tax levy for each taxing unit for which a proposed budget and property tax levy is submitted under IC 6-1.1-17-20 for introduction at the council meeting at which the public hearing is scheduled on the annual budgets for the city and county. (G.O. 62, 2009, § 1; G.O. 84, 2009, § 1; G.O. 36, 2013, § 1; G.O. 53, 2020, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 151-69 Notice of board and commission vacancies and expiring terms.

Sec. 151-69. - Notice of board and commission vacancies and expiring terms. In order to facilitate councilor input into the process by which the council appoints members of boards, commissions, committees, and authorities, the clerk shall, at least once per quarter: (a) Provide notice to all councilors of current board, commission, committee, and authority vacancies to which the council makes appointments; and (b) Provide notice to all councilors of the board, commission, committee, and authority terms, to which the council makes appointments, that will expire during the following quarter. The clerk shall also provide notice of any legal requirements with respect to the vacancies and expiring terms. (G.O. 43, 2017, § 1; G.O. 55, 2023, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 151-70 Reserved.

Source: Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Revised Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIORAD_CH151CIUNCO_ARTVPRINPRFetched: 10/27/2026