Indianapolis ranked third in Forbes 2008 list of “America’s Best Bang for the Buck Cities.”
Mayor Gregory A. Ballard
48th Mayor of Indianapolis
Executive Branch
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.
There are several city departments and other agencies included in the executive branch. The agencies' heads are appointed by the mayor.
Departments
- Department of Code Enforcement: Licenses and inspects certain businesses, issues permits for construction, and enforces civil code violations, such as zoning, land use, and animal care and control violations.
- Department of Metropolitan Development: Carries out urban planning and is responsible for redevelopment of blighted areas and vacant land.
- Department of Parks & Recreation (Indy Parks): Maintains public parks and recreational facilities.
- Department of Public Safety: Includes animal control, homeland security, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and the Indianapolis Fire Department.
- Department of Public Works: Maintains city infrastructure including streets, sidewalks, sewers, and drainage. Also collects household garbage and investigates illegal dumping.
- Department of Waterworks: Responsible for the city's water utility.
Executive Offices
- Controller: Manages the city and county budget, oversees city and county human resources, and manages all purchasing by agencies, departments, and offices of the city and county.
- Corporation Counsel: Provides legal services to city agencies and represents the city in court, prosecutes, ordinance violations, and enforces the city's anti-workplace discrimination ordinance.
- Minority & Women Business Development: Assists businesses with minority, women, and veteran business certifications and assists small business with city and non-city business opportunities.
Legislative Branch
The legislative branch of the city government is the Indianapolis City-County Council, which is composed of 29 members elected to four-year terms. 25 members represent geographic districts and 4 are elected at large.
For more information on city services and resources, please visit
www.indygov.org.