Meet the candidates for City-County Council District 2

Two candidates are running for Indianapolis City-County Council District 2: Democratic candidate Brienne Delaney and Republican candidate Matt Hills. District 2 is on the northside of Indianapolis. 

Delaney, 40, beat the incumbent in the primary – Democrat Monroe Gray was a council veteran and represented District 8 before redistricting, then ran for District 2. Delaney is a lawyer and served for eight years as the Director of Elections for the Marion County Election Board. 

Hills, 40, is an Army veteran and businessman. 

WFYI and the Indianapolis Recorder sent each candidate six questions to help voters learn more. Candidate responses 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 opened Oct. 11. Election Day is Nov. 7. 

BRIENNE DELANEY

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?   ​​

Crime:  As a former prosecutor, I’ve seen firsthand the toll violent crime takes on our neighborhoods. I would focus intently on increasing the city’s investment in mental health and addiction treatment, as I firmly believe the best way to address crime is by preventing it in the first place. We also need to get illegal guns off our streets. By expanding our partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office, we can utilize federal laws to reduce the number of illegally possessed firearms circulating in our community. Finally, I believe we must fully fund public safety. More specifically, I would work with my colleagues on the council to increase training (particularly for crisis response and mental health emergencies), recruitment, and retention initiatives – ensuring that our public safety agencies are fully staffed and trained in nationally recognized best practices.

Fixing and improving our infrastructure is vital: It’s no secret that Indianapolis has long struggled with significant infrastructure challenges. I think it is important to note that repaired streets and ample sidewalks are not merely a transportation issue – they represent a safety issue. I fully support efforts to address these longstanding challenges by working with surrounding communities and other partners to seek sufficient and full funding from the state of Indiana. Indianapolis is a “donor city” when it comes to road funding, and I believe asking for and seeking our fair share of road funding through the state legislature is the right path forward.

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

In going door-to-door in my district, I have heard a groundswell of concern about the ability of residents to afford housing.  In particular, I have heard great concern from families who saved for years to purchase their first house, only to watch it get harder to achieve with rising inflation.

I fully support the city’s initiatives aimed at creating more housing in Indianapolis. As councilor, I would work to identify new, creative solutions that could make housing more attainable – such as a comprehensive identification of unutilized city real estate assets for potential housing growth. Additionally, city government must continue to emphasize place-making efforts all over our city. These efforts create environments that attract economic development and new or rehabilitated housing. Finally, current and future housing initiatives must be developed and initiated in a manner that is conscious of the effects of gentrification.  

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

As a former prosecutor, I’ve seen firsthand what works and what doesn’t. Working side-by-side with law enforcement on the streets and in the courtroom, I came to firmly believe that addressing mental health and addiction is absolutely critical if we want to make strides in addressing crime. Which is why, first, I would focus on increasing the city’s investment in mental health and addiction treatment. Second, I would support the expansion of the city’s gun violence reduction initiatives, and then work to ensure prosecutors have the tools they need to enforce common sense gun laws to get illegal guns off our streets. Finally, third, I fundamentally believe that better schools, more attainable housing, and higher wage jobs are critical to overall crime prevention in the long run. On the council, I would make strategic investments consistent with this approach a key budget priority.

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

Pedestrian-friendly infrastructure: I believe it is critical that Indianapolis expand its investment in infrastructure that promotes public health and reduces environmental impacts. On the council, I would be a strong advocate for expanding and connecting our system of sidewalks, greenways, and trails. Additionally, I would work to ensure that these assets are designed in a way that makes pedestrian and biker safety the top priority.  

The White River: Our waterways are critical public assets that we must cherish; especially the White River, which runs the entirety of District 2. On the council, I would work with the White River Alliance and other key stakeholders to make investments that improve and protect the watershed and enhance residents' access to the river.

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 Office of Minority and Women Business Development (OMWBD) within the City of Indianapolis is a key link and driver of promoting XBE businesses within the city’s structure. The council must continue to support the OMWBD budget so that they have the tools to promote and encourage XBE businesses – as well as keep and expand the city’s XBE utilization goals. More specifically, I would focus on ensuring that XBE businesses not only participate in city projects, but that they participate in a way that allows XBE businesses to grow and expand their workforce here in Indianapolis.

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? 

The cornerstone of the future of our city rests in our schools. I am committed to supporting students, investing in teachers and facilities, and listening to families. Every child in our community deserves a world-class education and an opportunity to reach for their dreams. I believe that city government can and should play a vital role in supporting our students, teachers, and schools with (1) quality infrastructure that ensures children can safely get to school, (2) expansion of city-sponsored summer jobs and afterschool programs, and (3) incentives that attract housing that is more attainable for Indianapolis families. Finally, I strongly believe that quality pre-K should be available to every child in Indianapolis. On the council, I would work with state and local stakeholders to find a funding solution to make universal pre-K a reality for Indianapolis families.

MATT HILLS

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?  

Public Safety – Homicides have increased steadily over the last seven years across the city.* The neighborhoods in District 2 closest to Broad Ripple are very concerned about the crime continuing to expand northward, and many people have expressed that they are not comfortable going to Broad Ripple Village after dark any longer. If we don’t make meaningful progress in reducing crime, this will continue to be the primary issue affecting the city for years to come.

*Editors’ note: With some fluctuations, the number of criminal homicides has trended up in Indianapolis in recent years, with a spike after the pandemic. IMPD confirmed 148 criminal homicides In 2015; in 2022, that number was 211.

Pedestrian/cycling safety – specifically in District 2, the Monon Trail crossing at 86th street is incredibly dangerous. A cyclist was killed there on October 28, 2021 and little to no changes have been made to that intersection. It is the busiest location for daily life in all of Nora and there needs to be a permanent infrastructure update (bridge or tunnel) at this intersection. This needs to be completed in the next two to three years.

Infrastructure – our roads are in disrepair and the council has recently reported that our infrastructure across the city is underfunded by over $1 billion. I would advocate to request additional state funding for roads and examine our current practices and contracts to ensure we are repairing our infrastructure in the most efficient way possible. I would advocate for 25 councilors to have a more active role in identifying the most urgent infrastructure needs in their respective districts as opposed to the current process in which each city councilor selects approximately 1 mile* of road repaving in their respective districts each budget year.

*Editors’ note: WFYI asked for more information about “1 mile of road repaving.” Hills said, “The ‘1 mile’ has been stated to me by several current council members. I’m unsure if it is written down.”  

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

The council should look at ways to increase density in places where it makes sense and incentivize the construction of multi-family housing units across the city. The council should cut regulations where possible to remove all barriers to entry to the housing markets. High property taxes, excessive permitting requirements, and fees are hampering development efforts throughout the city and the process to build is taking far too long.* Only when the housing supply increases can prices come down and become more affordable. Indianapolis continues to be one of the most affordable large cities in America, and we should aim to keep it that way while accelerating the expansion of housing.

*Editors’ note: The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services, DBNS, has been attempting to streamline the permitting process. Residents have reported issues with the Department of Metropolitan Development and DBNS. Candidates point to problems that include staffing and bureaucratic inefficiencies. Watch the budget hearings for the DBNS and Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee here.

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

I will strongly advocate for strict adherence to the rule of law. The revolving door of criminals being let back out on our streets has made crime more commonplace than ever before in our city’s history. I will advocate for the council to compel IMPD to enforce more strictly quality of life offenses to ensure our neighborhoods become safe again. As I engage with residents in our neighborhoods, I have heard countless stories where simple offenses are no longer being enforced by our police officers. I would also call attention to the ineffectiveness of the prosecutor’s office and hold that office accountable for violent criminals they have chosen not to prosecute only to put them back on the streets to commit more crimes.

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

I am a conservationist, and the environment is a big part of the quality of life in many of our neighborhoods. I will advocate for increased investment in our parks and trails.  Specifically, in District 2, I will support the Holliday Park regional connectivity to Marott and Broad Ripple parks. I will also look at solutions to expand and incentivize recycling services throughout the city. As recently as 2020, Indianapolis was deemed the most wasteful city in America for recycling.* That needs to change quickly, and it would have a direct positive impact on our local environment.

*Editors’ note: WFYI confirmed Indianapolis is one of the worst larger cities for recycling.  

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? 

One of my largest clients as a management consultant is an XBE business and one of the ways I assist them is navigating the process to apply for construction projects across the city. I would continue to make the process to compete for these contracts transparent and easy to navigate. I would advocate to remove as many barriers as possible to allow XBEs entry into the marketplace. I would support continued outreach/marketing of opportunities for XBEs to compete for contracts.

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? 

[District 2] falls entirely in Washington Township and the MSD of Washington Township has complete control over the public schools in this district. I would encourage residents to get more involved locally and look closely at who they are electing to their school boards in the next elections. However, the public library system (IPL) and other organizations/programs are funded by the city, and I would continue to ensure these programs or institutions that plug into the public education system are running effectively and providing the best services possible.