kids encyclopedia robot

Government of Indianapolis facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The government of Indianapolis is a mayor-council, consolidated city-county system. The executive branch is headed by the elected mayor, and the legislative branch is made up of the 25-member City-County Council. Indianapolis and Marion County have a consolidated government known as Unigov. Most government offices are located in the City-County Building.

Executive

The Mayor of Indianapolis is the chief executive of the city and the county. The mayor is elected to a four-year term by the citizens of Marion County. There is no limit to the number of terms a mayor may serve. The current mayor is Democrat Joe Hogsett.

There are several city departments and other agencies included in the executive branch. The agencies' heads are appointed by the mayor.

Departments

  • Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (BNS) - Responsible for the licensing, permitting, inspection and enforcement of many types of industries operating within the city-county jurisdiction. Also has authority over property use and safety, as well as permitting, inspection and enforcement of city building and construction codes.
  • Department of Metropolitan Development - Carries out urban planning and enforcement of zoning and land-use ordinances. Also responsible for redevelopment of blighted areas and vacant land.
  • Department of Parks and Recreation (known locally as Indy Parks) - Maintains public parks and recreational facilities. See also: List of parks in Indianapolis, Indiana.
  • Department of Public Safety - Includes animal control, emergency management, the Indianapolis Fire Department, and the Indianapolis EMS. As of January 1, 2015, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department became its own entity with a chief reporting directly to the mayor.
  • Department of Public Works - Maintains city infrastructure, including streets and drainage. The Department also collects municipal solid waste and is responsible for the removal of snow from city-owned streets during winter months. Sewers are owned and maintained by Citizens Energy Group.

Citizens Energy Group is responsible for city water, wastewater and stormwater systems. These were previously operated by the City's Department of Waterworks through a contract with Veolia. However, the transfer of the water and wastewater systems to Citizens Energy Group was approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission on July 13, 2011. The transfer of the systems to Citizens Energy Group was completed on August 26, 2011.

Executive Offices

  • City Controller - Manages the city's finances. The office controls all purchasing by city agencies, human resources, fixed assets, and writes the annual budget. Fady Qaddoura was appointed as City Controller by Mayor Hogsett in January 2016.
  • Corporation Counsel - Provides legal services to city agencies and represents the city in court. Prosecutes ordinance violations.

Images for kids

  • JoeHogsett-USAttorney (cropped)

    Mayor Joe Hogsett

  • Indianapolis City-County Council Beurt R. Servaas Public Assembly Room

    Beurt R. Servaas Public Assembly Room in the City-County Building

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Government of Indianapolis Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.