Meet the candidates for City-County Council District 18

Two candidates are running for Indianapolis City-County Council in District 18: Democratic candidate Kristin Jones and Libertarian candidate Mark Renholzberger. Jones is an incumbent council member representing District 16. Due to redistricting, she is running for District 18 – a district covering parts of Indianapolis’ near south and west sides. 

Jones, 50, beat Democratic opponent Matthew Impink with 52 percent of votes during the May primary. 

Renholzberger, 63, is a planning manager. 

WFYI and the Indianapolis Recorder sent each of the candidates six questions to help voters learn more. Their answers are presented in alphabetical order.

Editors’ note: Responses were edited for style and grammar, and any numbers used were checked for accuracy. When a statement required more clarification or could not be independently verified, WFYI reached out to candidates before publication. Those instances, and those candidate responses, are noted throughout in editors’ notes, marked by an * and presented in italics.

Early voting started Oct. 11. Election Day is Nov. 7. 

KRISTIN JONES

What are the top concerns that your district’s constituents have shared with you, and what are the issues that you foresee affecting them most in the next two to three years? 

The issues I hear at the doors of our neighborhoods mostly deal with the quality of life issues such as infrastructure improvements including trails, bike lanes, and pedestrian safety along with better road maintenance and alley repairs. We have made unprecedented investments in infrastructure improvements and we will continue to invest in our neighborhoods.*

*Editors’ note: The city increased the infrastructure budget in recent years. This year’s Department of Public Works budget is $212 million. The state and federal governments also contribute to infrastructure spending. 

Affordable housing is a major issue in Indianapolis. What measures should the council take to address this?

Regarding affordable housing, my colleagues and I have been hearing from our constituents about the increased housing problem across our city. That is one reason why our council  passed a $100-150 tax credit on the property taxes to most Marion County residents. We needed to move quickly to help reduce the increased costs our residents are facing and remove the hurdles that prevent many from keeping their homes including more property tax credits.

What is your top concern regarding public safety in Indianapolis? What steps will you take as a council member to address it?

The most important concern regarding public safety, according to my constituents, is the increased crime many are experiencing. Each year during my tenure, we have addressed this in the budget by calling for increased spending for mental health and substance abuse issues along with more police on the streets in our neighborhoods. Increased use of technology including dash cams and body cams help to improve transparency and I will continue to advocate for their continued use.  As a councilor, I participate in an IMPD ride-along so I can better understand the needs, concerns, and procedures to better serve my district and advocate for our budget.

What specific steps will you take to address environmental concerns in your district that affect your constituents’ quality of life and life expectancy?

Environmental concerns in my district are often the result of flooding and the increased need for flooding abatement. That is one reason why I advocated and sponsored proposals to help flood abatement in Fountain Square to the tune of over $6 million dollars and millions more in Mars Hill neighborhoods. I will also continue to call for increased budgeting for our very popular “tox drop” locations run by the Department of Public Works.  

What specific steps will you take to connect minority-owned businesses in Indianapolis with contracts for city projects? How else will you support growth opportunities for minority-owned businesses?

Regarding increasing the city’s use of XBE, or minority-owned businesses, I have supported  the Office of Minority and Women Business Development at job fairs and encouraged more participation to promote minority-owned contractors to participate in bidding for city contracts. We need to make sure XBE’s have the same opportunities when bidding for the record number of development contracts* and our goal should be to exceed the minimum requirements for minority-owned businesses in Marion County.  I engage with Business Associations to make sure that all necessary resources are available to them.

*Editors’ note: WFYI asked for clarification on this record number. We did not hear back by the time of publication.

What would you like to see happen for K-12 education in Indianapolis, and how would you work as a city-county councilor to achieve that? 

Regarding K-12 education, although the mayor has chartering ability, the Indianapolis City-County Council has very little oversight regarding education. We all need to reach out to the members of the Indiana General Assembly to ask them to fully fund public schools and protect the rights of all school employees to collectively bargain for better pay and working conditions.

MARK RENHOLZBERGER

What are the top concerns that your district’s constituents have shared with you, and what are the issues that you foresee affecting them most in the next two to three years?  

Jobs. Safe Neighborhoods. Good Neighborhoods.

I believe in people. We all have seen what one can accomplish as an individual. And we have all seen even more so what we can accomplish working together. 

I am blessed to have neighbors who watch out for each other and lend a helping hand when needed. Moving to the near Southside I have been introduced to the “culture of the front porch”. I can walk my dog in the evening and find people gathered on the front porch chatting, playing board games and just enjoying the cool night air. 

My primary concern is that we have in place elected officials who have the vision of servant leaders. One can easily grab headlines with grand projects of converting city streets to bike lanes, downtown fussgaengerzones* and building bus infrastructure for buses not ridden. 

*Editors’ note: This is a German word that translates to “pedestrian area.”

There are challenges for us to address. One need not venture far to see the tragedy of people sleeping on a downtown sidewalk or in an encampment along I-65 or in Garfield Park. Or to see neighborhoods of poorly maintained streets and decaying homes. Or to see the lack of economic vibrancy along Madison and East streets.

What should our message be?

First – to the people of Indianapolis - do what you can to make Indianapolis a better place to live. Be a good neighbor. Help your neighbors. Be visible. Do what you reasonably can to keep your neighborhood looking good. Join with your neighbors in spontaneous efforts or in civic organizations or your faith community. There is so much we can do together. 

Second – to our City Leadership – what can we do to foster a positive environment for the creation of jobs? Can we learn any lessons from Columbus, Indiana? We need to do a complete assessment of all City policies, taxes, regulations, ordinances and permitting processes. Our objective needs to be that Indianapolis fosters economic vibrancy and investment.

Third – again, to our City Leadership – focus on the basics. We need sound, fiscally responsible management of all City Services. 

Be servant leaders.

Affordable housing is a major issue in Indianapolis. What measures should the council take to address this?

Affordability is a relative term meaningful at the level of the individual. From my perspective, Williams Creek, Cape Cod and Nantucket all present a problem of ‘affordable housing.’ The issue at hand, given a level of discretionary income, what quality of housing given one’s lifestyle objectives is one willing or able to purchase? Thus, one’s options regarding ‘affordable housing’ are increased generally with an increase in income and / or the cost of housing decreases. 

There are some factors the City Council cannot control. The federal government has increased the cost of building materials through inflationary spending and regulatory policies limiting the availability of building materials.* The Federal Reserve has increased the cost of financing by increasing interest rates to counter the inflationary pressure caused by the federal government.

*Editors’ note: WFYI asked Renholzberger to provide sources for this information. He did respond to other clarification requests, but he did not provide a source for this information by time of publication.  

The City Council can, however, influence both the availability and cost of housing through the city’s zoning and permitting practices. 

We should encourage the private development of housing along multiple fronts: rehabilitation of existing properties, construction of new properties and the development of higher density units. 

We should encourage the zoning and permitting processes should promote responsible development of housing as well as businesses.

We should not forget reasonable construction standards are needed, especially for safety.

Based on conversations with neighbors, in the case of rental units, we should work to ensure both parties in rental agreements are fulfilling their responsibilities and quick legal recourse can be taken when needed. 

What is your top concern regarding public safety in Indianapolis? What steps will you take as a council member to address it?

We have seen numerous examples across the country the consequence* of the “defund the police” movement and not supporting law enforcement in their very difficult jobs. Yes, we must set expectations to all those engaged in the criminal justice systems and at the same time assure everyone of our support.

Crime prevention begins in the home…parents raising their children to become responsible young adults…and is reinforced through the schools and other social institutions.

I am concerned especially as to how our community integrates those who have been released from confinement back into society. As a City-County Councilor I will work with probation officers and social workers alike to provide the opportunity and support to reduce recidivism.

*Editor’s note: WFYI asked for examples of consequences and received this response –

“Some references -- The rationale seems to follow, my impression, that the funding for police would be better spent in the long term, on developing alternatives to (armed) police response to "disturbance and crime". Perhaps this is realistic in some circumstances -- but I leave it to advocates to make their case for the affirmative.

I would suggest, in any case, the development of such alternatives be thought out and actually set in motion before the reduction in how officers today respond to (what) incidents. Please keep in perspective what is being asked of police officers and the vast spectrum of circumstances they may find themselves in on any given day.

Certainly and obviously, when the police are called, whether for clear crime situations or for situations where de-escalation and cooler heads are needed, there is an inherent (potential) threat. Police are called as a last resort -- because who else does one call? Perhaps that is the point for the defund movement.? Again, the advocates need to make the case.”

What specific steps will you take to address environmental concerns in your district that affect your constituents’ quality of life and life expectancy? 

Given our district includes a mix of light industrial and commercial enterprises, general neighborhood cleanliness is a concern. This includes the need for street sweepers, trash removal and some means for particulate reduction (dust). 

We should encourage businesses to maintain their property and frontages. Show some pride.

What specific steps will you take to connect minority-owned businesses in Indianapolis with contracts for city projects? How else will you support growth opportunities for minority-owned businesses? 

The bidding process for city contracts must be open and fair to all, conducted in a manner based on merits. 

As a City-County Councilor I will work with the administration to assure the procurement process is well publicized and that every effort is made to identify new potential contractors. The city should help provide resources from the private sector and colleges for coaching.

What would you like to see happen for K-12 education in Indianapolis, and how would you work as a city-county councilor to achieve that? 

Education requires action. Students must put in the work to learn. Teachers must use their passion and training to inspire as well as teach. And parents must set the expectations for both the student and the teacher.

My long term concern is for the youth of our city. A vibrant city presents the framework for possibility, of what can I be or do someday. At the same time our youth need to take on responsibility, of understanding and meeting expectations.

I would encourage schools to:

• Actively engage parents.
• Be creative in reaching the student, understanding how to motivate each student as an individual. 
• Consider whether male-only and female-only schools could provide a better educational environment for the students. 
• Again, focus on the basics. Much of what one needs to function in our society is truly learned by the time one graduates from high school.