logo
Potholes are bankrupting Indianapolis. New state funding won't help.

Potholes are bankrupting Indianapolis. New state funding won't help.

A lot of folks are celebrating the passage of House Bill 1461, which gives Indianapolis access to up to $50 million in additional state road funding. But before we pop the champagne, let's be honest: This bill doesn't solve our problem. It puts lipstick on a pig.
HB 1461 provides two funding paths. First, it allows the city to raise the local wheel tax, but Indianapolis isn't maxing out the current rate and Mayor Joe Hogsett's administration has previously said it won't raise the wheel tax.
Second, the bill offers $50 million in state money, but only if the city can match it with new revenue. There's a catch: That match can't come from existing infrastructure or public safety budgets, which already make up most of the city's spending. So, we'd have to either defund other services or raise taxes. And, even then, the money can't be used on greenways, sidewalks or bike lanes to reduce our oversized streets.
In other words, we're being asked to double down on the same overbuilt, underfunded road network that got us here in the first place.
A lot of road and little to no return
The real issue in Indianapolis isn't that we spend too little on roads; it's that we've built too many of them. We've stretched infrastructure across a landscape that doesn't generate enough tax revenue to support it.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
This started decades ago. In the 1970s and '80s, the city expanded rapidly under Unigov, pouring money into widening arterials like Shadeland and Emerson avenues. But the development that followed, mostly low-density, single-use housing, doesn't pay the bills.
Take a single-family home on a large lot. It needs roads, sewers, water, streetlights, trash pickup, fire protection and maybe even a school bus stop. But it only contributes a few thousand dollars a year in property taxes, nowhere near enough to cover the costs of service.
Multiply that pattern citywide and you get the math problem: long-term infrastructure liabilities that are not supported by surrounding properties. The way we've built is financially imprudent.
Now, imagine that same parcel with an attached duplex or a micro-retail store or small apartment. Same infrastructure, more tax revenue. More people helping to pay for the street they use. Less long-term maintenance liability.
Instead of encouraging this kind of efficient growth, our zoning code locks over 80% of Indianapolis into low-return land uses. In most of Marion County, it's still illegal to build anything but a single-family house. That's a policy choice and it's bankrupting our city one pothole at a time.
A broken tax system makes it worse
Just as our costs are ballooning, our ability to raise money is shrinking.
Earlier this year, the Indiana General Assembly passed Senate Bill 1, capping property tax revenue growth for local governments. It's a budget squeeze that will hit every city in the state, but especially one like Indianapolis, already struggling to pay for the system it has.
Indiana uses a three-tier property tax cap: roughly 1% for owner-occupied homes, 2% for rentals and farmland, and 3% for commercial and mixed-use properties. But, because we zone so much of the city for low-yield residential use, we're blocking the higher-return development that could help fund our streets, parks and public safety.
Urban3's land-use analysis conducted for IndyGo showed this clearly: most parcels in Indianapolis cost more to serve than they return in taxes. Our property tax ecosystem makes that imbalance worse.
So, here's the question: Is saving $300 on your tax bill really worth blowing a tire every spring?
The funding formula is pitted against us
Even if we could fix our land-use and tax system overnight, we'd still be fighting an uphill battle because Indiana funds roadwork in a fundamentally flawed way.
The state allocates money based on lane miles, not traffic volume. So, a four-lane arterial in Indy is treated the same as a two-lane local road in Kokomo. That encourages overbuilding and punishes efficient design.
Indianapolis is funded as if it has about 3,300 lane miles, but in reality we maintain more than 8,000. That's 5,000 miles of road we're responsible for, with no funding to back it up.
HB 1461 doesn't fix this. It just patches over the gap without asking why the hole exists.
We need a smarter way forward
If a household is struggling to pay its bills, it has two options: Make more money, or reduce expenses. Cities are no different.
We can't just keep paving our way out of this. Raising taxes is politically unpopular, and cutting roads sparks backlash. But there's a third option: Allow property owners to do more with their land.
When we let people build more housing, small businesses or mixed-use projects, we get more value out of the infrastructure we already have. That's revenue without raising tax rates and growth without adding costs. HB 1461 simply treats the symptoms and not the disease.
Hicks Braun cut taxes for businesses, but most Hoosiers will pay more
The administration has said it isn't concerned about what's in the bill; only that it's passed. That's not good enough. We need to ask why we're in this hole in the first place. HB 1461 solves the short-term funding issue by throwing more money at an inefficient system and then makes it illegal to change that system. Then, it takes away the flexibility we need to grow smarter.
If we're serious about fixing our roads, we need to fix our development code too. That means liberalizing zones, simplifying permitting, and encouraging land uses that pull their financial weight that justify and support our roadways.
We need to stop treating infrastructure as a cost to absorb and start treating it like an investment that has to earn a return.
HB 1461 feels like throwing money down a well expecting to get water — you lose your money, and you're still left with a giant hole.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mega Millions winning numbers for July 25: $120 million jackpot
Mega Millions winning numbers for July 25: $120 million jackpot

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Mega Millions winning numbers for July 25: $120 million jackpot

The Mega Millions jackpot rose to $120 million for the drawing on Friday, July 25 after no one matched all the winning numbers in the drawing on Tuesday, July 22. If someone matches all six numbers on Friday, they will have the option of a one-time cash payment of $52.8 million. There have been four Mega Millions winners this year, with the most recent being the June 27 win in Virginia of a jackpot of $348 million. Before then, on April 18, an Ohio player took home a $112 million jackpot, a lucky lottery ticket holder in Illinois took home a $344 million jackpot on March 25 and another lucky person hit the Mega Millions jackpot on Jan. 17 for $113 million. Here are the winning numbers from the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, July 25, 2025. Mega Millions winning numbers for 7/25/25 The winning numbers for Friday, July 25 will be posted here once drawn. Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Did anyone win the Mega Millions? Any Mega Millions winners will be posted here once announced by lottery officials. To view the list of past winners, visit the Mega Millions website. How to play the Mega Millions To play the Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket. You can do this at a variety of locations, including your local convenience store, gas station or even grocery store. In some states, Mega Millions tickets can be bought online. Once you have your ticket, you need to pick six numbers. Five of them will be white balls with numbers from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball ranges from 1 to 24. If you're feeling especially unlucky or don't want to go through the hassle of picking, you can ask for a "Quick Pick" or an "Easy Pick.' These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you. Mega Millions tickets now include a built-in multiplier, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five, or 10 times. Before, players had to pay an extra dollar to add the "Megaplier.' Where can you buy lottery tickets? Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer. Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit for full terms. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mega Millions winning numbers for 7/25/25: Jackpot at $120 million Solve the daily Crossword

Israel, US recall teams from Gaza truce talks; violence near aid distribution continues
Israel, US recall teams from Gaza truce talks; violence near aid distribution continues

USA Today

time5 hours ago

  • USA Today

Israel, US recall teams from Gaza truce talks; violence near aid distribution continues

On Friday's episode of The Excerpt podcast: Israel and the United States recalled their delegations from Gaza ceasefire talks for consultations Thursday. Plus, hundreds of people have been killed in recent weeks trying to reach food, mostly in mass shootings by Israeli soldiers posted near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution centers. USA TODAY Senior National Columnist for Health and Wellness Laura Trujillo takes a closer look at President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein's relationship over the years. Two GOP senators call for a special counsel to probe former President Barack Obama over the 2016 Trump-Russia investigation. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison discusses a new executive order that makes it easier for cities and states to remove homeless people from the streets. Hulk Hogan has died at 71. Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here Taylor Wilson: Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and today is Friday, July 25th, 2025. This is USA TODAY's The Excerpt. Today controversy over US humanitarian aid deliveries and Gaza as hunger concerns grow. Plus we discuss an executive order making it easier to remove homeless people from the streets. And we remember Hulk Hogan. ♦ Israel and the US recalled their delegations from Gaza ceasefire talks for consultations yesterday with US envoy, Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of failing to act in good faith in the talks. It marked the latest setback in efforts to secure a deal that would bring a ceasefire to Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Earlier this week, more than 100 largely aid and rights groups called for governments to take action as hunger spreads in Gaza. More than 800 people have been killed in recent weeks trying to reach food, mostly in mass shootings by Israeli soldiers posted near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution centers. Women going to pick up aid for their families yesterday said US contractors organizing distribution asked them to come to pick up goods and then fired tear gas and pepper spray at them. Asked for comment, a spokesperson for the aid organization, the GHF said a limited amount of pepper spray was used to prevent civilian injury due to overcrowding. GHF, a US and Israeli-backed organization began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May. The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian in impartiality standards, which GHF denies. Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University Alex de Waal outlined some of the criticisms speaking to Reuters. Alex de Waal: The ration that they are providing is less than the humanitarian ration provided by the United Nations. None of the specialized services such as supplementary therapeutic feeding for malnourished children are a part of this package. These are all the reasons why the United Nations and most professional humanitarians are very critical of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation scheme. Taylor Wilson: You can read more on ♦ Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche said he met Jeffrey Epstein's longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, yesterday and will meet her again today. She's serving a twenty-year sentence at a federal prison in Tallahassee after a jury convicted her of sex trafficking in 2021. The meetings come as President Donald Trump and his administration face continued pressure to release additional information about the Justice Department's investigation into Epstein. But what do we know about Trump and Epstein's relationship over the years? I spoke with USA TODAY Senior National Columnist for Health and Wellness Laura Trujillo for more. Laura, thank you so much for joining me on this. Laura Trujillo: Thanks for inviting me. Taylor Wilson: Let's just start here. How did the Trump, Epstein relationship originate? Laura Trujillo: From what we understand they really became friends around 1990. This is when Epstein bought a mansion about two miles from Trump's Mar-a-Lago, which he just bought about five years before. And they both, if you think about this, were really rich guys from New York, both really doing well and two miles isn't that far apart when you're two rich guys with mansions, you end up in the same social circles. We really don't know if they were best friends or something like that. We know they ran with the same group. We know they were at dinner parties together and at different events, but we're really not sure how close they were. Taylor Wilson: You touched on this, Laura, but in terms of where they would actually hang out, we know South Florida is involved here, New York City. Was this really about Mar-a-Lago? Was it about the infamous Epstein Island? Where would they run into each other? Laura Trujillo: It seems to be both New York and Florida, mostly at Mar-a-Lago. And that's a lot of photos that we have from events at Mar-a-Lago, mostly with models, with cheerleaders, parties, that type of thing. And in New York, we don't know at this point if there were trips to Epstein Island that has not shown up yet, but we also don't have all of the files. We know that Trump was on Epstein's plane between Florida and New York, but that doesn't tell us where he went. Taylor Wilson: Laura, I know you touched on this in your piece, how are modeling agencies and beauty pageants really a part of this story and their relationship? Laura Trujillo: Mostly Trump has talked about enjoying spending time with women and young women. He really didn't make a secret of this. Epstein lived a little bit quieter than Trump. I think we know that having heard Trump, he likes to talk about it. He bragged about getting access to young women on some interviews we've heard with Howard Stern. They both were involved with modeling agencies, so Epstein invested in one. We also later learned that Epstein used scouting models as a way to procure underage girls. With Trump, he started an agency in 1999. It had a lot of legacy models, and in fact, Melania was a model there before he met her. And it did have some teen models as well. Trump also, as we know, bought beauty pageants. He owned the Miss Universe Pageant, Miss Teen Pageant, and he seemed to really like to talk about that. And we've got stories of him going into the dressing rooms at these pageants and sort of making a joke about it. But I think sometimes when you hear quotes decades later, they may ring true in a different way. Taylor Wilson: All right, so Laura, what finally led to their falling out? Laura Trujillo: We think, which this is definitely a rich guy thing, they both wanted to buy the same mansion in Palm Beach, and it turned out that Trump outbid Epstein for it. And when he outbid him, it was for $41 million. And then Trump turned around and flipped it for 95 million a few years later to a Russian billionaire. And so that's one of the things people talk about. Another is that other reports say that Epstein and Trump broke up after Ghislaine Maxwell solicited the daughter of a Mar-a-Lago member. And the father complained to Trump, and that's when Trump said he kicked Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago for being a creep, so we don't know exactly what happened, but we know that those were two things that have come up. We do know that Epstein was at Trump's wedding in 2005, but that's really the last time they've been linked. Taylor Wilson: All right, so how has Trump addressed Epstein since taking the Oval Office? Is there any difference this term also versus Trump's first term? Laura Trujillo: I have, in 2019, Trump was saying he wasn't a fan of Epstein. And at that point he also was alleging that Bill Clinton was connected to Epstein's death, so there was a real call at that time from Trump to learn more about the Epstein client list and to find out if there was this wider child abuse conspiracy. Moving forward into this term and this week, we've seen so much about Epstein just swirling around the President with the MAGA movement promising all of these revelations and Trump now seeming to say he's fine with these files being released, but we've got Republicans pushing back and so it's going to be interesting to see what happens. Taylor Wilson: Lots of developments still to come. Laura Trujillo is a senior national columnist covering health and wellness for USA TODAY. Thanks, Laura. Laura Trujillo: Thank you. ♦ Taylor Wilson: Two Republican senators are calling for the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate whether former President Barack Obama and his staff were involved in an effort to undermine Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. The push by Senators Lindsey Graham and John Cornyn comes after national intelligence director, Tulsi Gabbard, in a press briefing earlier this week, alleged she had evidence the Obama administration promoted a contrived narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump, arguing that it was not true. Russia did attempt to interfere in the 2016 presidential election in favor of Trump, but according to former special counsel Robert Mueller's 2019 final report and a 2020 bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee assessment. Trump has long said the investigations into his first White House campaign and its connections with Russia are a hoax. ♦ President Trump yesterday took executive action, making it easier for cities and states to remove homeless people from the streets. I spoke with USA TODAY White House correspondent Joey Garrison to learn more. Thanks for joining me, Joey. Joey Garrison: Hey, thanks for having me on. Taylor Wilson: Joey, what will this executive order do about homelessness? Joey Garrison: President Trump took executive action on Thursday signing an order that really makes it easier for cities and states really encourages them to remove homeless people from the streets and from encampments and move them over to rehabilitation and treatment centers. This is done in a couple of ways. First of all, Trump is directing his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to challenge judicial precedents both at the federal and state levels, try to reverse those precedents and consent decrees that currently limit the ability of local and state governments to remove homeless people from the streets. The order also sets forth, though this part is a little unclear, redirecting federal funds to these centers where Trump wants to move homeless people to. And it's not clear exactly how much money will be allocated for this or from where that money is going to be coming from. And also, he's ordered several federal agencies, including HHS and HUD, to start prioritizing federal grants to states and cities that prohibit homeless encampments, so this is a direct incentive for the federal government to crack down on homelessness camps. And so that's the big things that this sweeping homeless EO from Trump seeks to accomplish. Taylor Wilson: And Joey, what did we hear from the White House about why they feel this is necessary in this moment? Joey Garrison: Trump has long talked about the homeless issue in the country. He makes the comments often about Washington DC when he is driving around in the presidential vehicle he looks out the window and sees these homelessness camps. It's always been something that he's talked about. It falls under this law and order umbrella that Trump has long talked about. And there are numbers to back up, the fact that homelessness is at an all-time high in the country right now, HUD does an annual count of the number of people sleeping on the streets on a single night each year. And last January 2024 they counted over 770,000 on a single night. That was a 18% increase over the previous year. And so there is an issue, of course, with the rise of homelessness in many cities. Taylor Wilson: Wow. Trump's action here follows a major Supreme Court move as well earlier this year on homeless camps, Joey, what did they decide? Can we go back to that for a moment? Joey Garrison: Yeah, that's a huge point, what's going on in the background here. In June, just a month ago, the Supreme Court ruled that individuals can be arrested and fined for sleeping and public spaces. They upheld a homelessness ban in a City of Grant Pass, Oregon that prohibits homeless people from sleeping outdoors. In that city they have fines starting at $250 per individual as well as jail time for repeat offenses. You have this opinion, which was a six three conservative majority ruling that essentially upholds cities and states banning homelessness in their communities. And so with that authority upheld by the Supreme Court, you're seeing this real proactive executive order from Trump for cities and states to really go after homelessness in their cities. Taylor Wilson: Well, Joey, as for this week's executive order, are we hearing any pushback? What do critics say about this latest action out of the White House? Joey Garrison: Not surprisingly, a lot of homelessness advocates are condemning this, and I think there's a lot of questions here. First of all, this idea of removing people from where they live on streets to centers. There's a lot of questions whether these rehabilitation centers, whether there's enough beds to house an entire homelessness population. You look at cities on the West Coast like Los Angeles and San Francisco, which have really large numbers of homeless people. I think a lot of homeless advocates say the best way is to address the housing problem right now in this country. The affordability issue with buying a home has never been greater really than it is right now. They argue that this isn't the right way to try to tackle this problem, that it's really rather inhumane to sweep the streets of people who are living there. Taylor Wilson: Joey Garrison covers the White House for USA TODAY. Thank you, Joey. Joey Garrison: Thanks so much. ♦ Taylor Wilson: Hulk Hogan has died. Hogan, whose legal name is Terry Bollea was influential on the rise of wrestling worldwide and WWE's first major star. As WWE became the dominant wrestling company, his stardom grew and he headlined the first nine editions of WrestleMania with his most iconic moment coming at WrestleMania III in 1987. Defending the World Heavyweight Championship against longtime rival, Andre the Giant Hogan picked him up and delivered the body slam heard around the world, and his popularity spread outside the ring with appearances and TV shows and movies. He wasn't without scandal though, he testified admitting he took steroids. And then in 2015 he was caught on tape making racist comments that severely tarnished his popularity and legacy. WWE distanced itself from Hogan in the fallout, but he eventually returned to making appearances with the company in 2018. He made his last appearance for WWE in January. Hulk Hogan was 71. ♦ Thanks for listening to The Excerpt. We're produced by Shannon Rae Green and Kaely Monahan, and our executive producer is Laura Beatty. You can get the podcast wherever you get your pods, and as always, you can email us at podcasts at I'm Taylor Wilson. I'll be back tomorrow with more of The Excerpt from USA TODAY.

Social Security Administration backtracks on decision to end paper checks, reports say
Social Security Administration backtracks on decision to end paper checks, reports say

USA Today

time6 hours ago

  • USA Today

Social Security Administration backtracks on decision to end paper checks, reports say

The Social Security Administration will continue to send some paper checks to beneficiaries of the retirement program, reversing its recently announced plan to move all social security payments to electronic deposits beginning in the fall, according to media reports and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Warren (D-Mass.) said on Wednesday, July 23, that SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano agreed to continue to issuing paper checks for those who are unable to receive payments otherwise. A spokesperson for the SSA confirmed to CBS MoneyWatch and finance outlet Kiplinger it would continue to issue paper checks to certain beneficiaries, including those who receive retirement and disability benefits. The SSA added it would emphasize the advantages of using electronic transfers and encourage recipients to switch away from paper checks. The SSA did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment. The agency first announced its plans to move away from paper checks on July 14 as part of an effort to modernize its systems and improve service delivery. Here's what you need to know. How many beneficiaries receive paper checks? The SSA said less than 1% of beneficiaries have yet to switch to electronic payment methods and still receive paper checks. But with over 74 million people receiving Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or both in June 2025, dropping paper checks would potentially impact hundreds of thousands of Americans. About 4.2% of of U.S. households lacked a bank or credit union account in 2023, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Bankrate reported one reason why some people are "underbanked" is because they believe they don't earn enough to open an account. Those who are underbanked also cited concerns about fees, privacy or general distrust of banks. How to switch to electronic payments Social Security beneficiaries can switch from paper checks to electronic payments online through their My Social Security account. The agency has technicians available to support those who need tech support Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. ET. Why is the Social Security Administration pushing for electronic payments? The SSA said switching from paper checks to electronic payments minimizes delays in payments and reduces the risk of fraud. Citing the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the SSA said electronic payments cost roughly 35 cents less than paper checks, essentially saving the federal government millions of dollars annually. The agency added that the transition away from paper checks provides a safer and more secure method to receive benefits, saying paper checks are 16 times more likely to be either lost or stolen. CONTRIBUTING: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store