Marine fights his way to mayor's office
INDY | Rides tax revolt to 1st victory over incumbent in 40 years
November 19, 2007
BY KEN KUSMER
INDIANAPOLIS -- Greg Ballard just a few months ago was an obscure Republican mayoral nominee without a prayer, some scoffed, of unseating a well-funded, two-term incumbent.
Today, he's the mayor-elect of the nation's 13th-largest city, a tax opponent held up for admiration by President Bush, and a lesson to political incumbents everywhere of what can happen if they don't mind the mood of the voters.
Ballard beat Democrat Bart Peterson 51 percent to 47 percent to become the first challenger in 40 years to unseat an Indianapolis mayor.
The 52-year-old retired Marine Corps officer never doubted himself.
''I know half the city doesn't believe it when I said I always believed. I mean, I always thought we were going to do this thing,'' he said.
What happened in Indianapolis was a classic taxpayer revolt in which voters took out their frustrations on the man at the top.
Property taxes for homeowners statewide have shot up an average of 24 percent because of new assessment rules. Peterson over the summer imposed a hiring freeze and ordered most city departments to cut their budgets. However, he also pushed through a 65 percent local income tax hike.
''On top of the property tax crisis, and then to put in an income tax increase on top of it, the timing of it was just really bad,'' Ballard said. ''If it was really, really necessary, it could have been delayed. I'm not so sure it was all necessary." AP
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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