I’m doing some research this morning in preparation for tomorrow night’s Mayoral Budget address.  I’ve already gone over some arts funding figures, parks department numbers, and the possible privatization of the Mayor’s Action Center.

But what’s really interesting is when you start moving into specific areas and certain line items. Take this one for example.  A review of contracts between the Marion County Sheriff’s Department and Counsel to the Sheriff, Kevin Murray, has revealed some interesting information.

By my count, Murray has five separate contracts with MCSD and they are all two-year deals.  Here’s what they are for and how they cost.

• General Counsel Services - $83,442.45 annual retainer.
• Pension Board Services - Up to $60,000 annually.
• Jail Overcrowding - Up to $100,000 annually.
• Labor & Employment - Up to $75,000 annually for services provided to the Sheriff’s Department.
• Labor & Employment - Up to $100,000 annually for services provided to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Making a couple assumptions, Murray was potentially getting paid $836,884.90.  Of course you would have to take into account Frank Anderson no longer controls IMPD as of March of this year and it’s faulty to assume Murray would bill MCSD every last possible dime, but you have to admit, in a day where the city is already $26 million in the hole, six figures ain’t bad take home pay.

The following excerpts are taken from the Indianapolis Star. Perhaps if Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard had read them before promising to cut $70 million in “fluff” from the city budget, he wouldn’t have made that promise in the first place. The budget he inherited has been slashed to the max. Now what?

After being criticized for exaggerating a series of proposed spending cuts, Mayor Bart Peterson has responded with a series of new cuts in virtually every city department.

The mayor’s office announced $9.1 million in cost-saving measures Friday. That figure is significant because it surpasses the $8.7 million in accounting changes that Peterson touted as part of a budget-tightening package last week.

- August 2, 2003

Mayor Bart Peterson will propose sweeping changes to city and county government today in a plan that would expand his powers, create a new police force, merge fire departments and abolish most township offices.

The plan, which includes the most comprehensive changes suggested for Indianapolis and Marion County government since the creation of Uni-Gov 34 years ago, is needed to avoid “massive tax increases” and layoffs, Peterson said.

Besides increasing efficiency and making the mayor more accountable, the city estimates the proposal could save local taxpayers $35 million annually — more than 4 percent of all city and county spending.

- August 2, 2004

Unveiling a sweeping plan to trim government spending by $28 million, Mayor Bart Peterson announced Wednesday a series of budget cuts that range from reducing the police force to closing city pools early this summer.

For most residents, the changes will be subtle, but the long-term effect could eat deep into the core of the state’s largest city and erode a quality of life that has thrived for decades.

“Some of the shine and some of the polish is going to go off our city,” Peterson said. “It’s going to be a little duller, and it’s going to be a little less nice. If that goes on for four or five years, people start to notice.”

- June 30, 2005

“We’re trying to avoid draconian cuts,” city Controller Bob Clifford said. “But the echo effect of this is tremendous.”

Mayor Bart Peterson already ordered $13 million in cuts that will carry through to next year.

Additional cuts will be made with the latest shortfall announcement.

During Peterson’s eight years in office, the city and county budget has gone from $724 million to $1.04 billion, an increase of 44 percent.

- Aug. 1, 2007

But Peterson has put most of that increase into crime-fighting efforts. Public safety and criminal justice spending increased 88 percent in the city and county over that period. Other spending under his authority, other than debt service, largely has declined or stayed flat.

- Oct. 21, 2007

“There’s fat in there to be cut,” Ballard said. “(Peterson) has a record of putting a lot of taxes on people, and that’s not the way I’d like to do business.”

- Nov. 3, 2007

Ballard on Monday declined to reveal any more details about how his budget will make up for lost property tax revenues or fulfill his campaign promise to cut $70 million in “fluff” in three years, aside from spending cuts of nearly $8 million so far this year.

“We’re not looking at stopping what’s already been promised, but we are looking at doing things differently and finding new revenue streams,” Ballard said.

- July 29, 2008

I’m keeping an eye on three things this morning; one federal, one state and one local issue. Here they are for your political consumption.

I’ve been checking some more poll data and the trends are not favoring presumptive Republican Presidential nominee John McCain. Although Gallup has Barack Obama ahead by 9 points nationally, it’s the state polls which matter most because of the Electoral Map. Zogby has just released a poll showing Barack ahead in Arizona (42-39). Libertarian Bob Barr is at 7-percent and Ralph Nader is at 2-percent. Zogby expects conservatives to eventually come home to McCain, however being statistically tied with the “most liberal” member of the U.S. Senate in your home state can’t be a good thing.

I’ve also been doing some checking into Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson’s call for Indiana’s billion dollar surplus to be returned, in part, to the taxpayers. I expected Governor Mitch Daniels to not be crazy about the idea, I did not expect members of JLT’s own party to stay on the sidelines. When I called House Democrats looking for a response, a spokesman told me “there are no plans to comment at this time.” I don’t think anyone would consider that a ringing endorsement of JLT’s plans.

Also, watch for this tonight. The City-County Council’s Metropolitan Development Committee will take up the appointment of former Council attorney Aaron Haith to the Indianapolis Housing Agency Board. Expect some potential fireworks as Haith is the Democrats’ minority (party not race) appointment to the Board however Republicans will argue that because Haith is under investigation by the Indiana Supreme Court for alleged unethical conduct, that his appointment should be postponed until the Court concludes its investigation.

What are you watching?

Editor’s Note: Make that four items. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard is scheduled to do a budget review this afternoon. It ain’t gonna pretty.