by Abdul-Hakim Shabazz, Esq.

I don’t usually give campaign advice for free. Consultants charge good money for it, and most of it isn’t worth what they charge. But I’ve run for mayor of this city, and I’ve watched plenty of other people try. So here’s some free advice for state Sen. Andrea Hunley, when it comes to her mayoral plans: tell people who’s going to pay for it.

Last Thursday, two days after an election that left Indiana Democrats feeling better than they have in years, Hunley rolled out her mayoral platform at P30 on the east side.

Credit where it’s due. Hunley is smart and likable, and she did something many candidates never do: she put specific numbers on paper. You can’t hold anyone accountable for “making Indianapolis better.” You can hold them accountable for 30,000 homes by 2032.

Now, the list.

Free universal pre-K. Raise the city’s median wage by 25 percent. Build 30,000 homes by 2032. Cut evictions in half by the same year. Cut homicides and nonfatal shootings in half by 2031. Expand the city’s mental health crisis response. Put $1 billion into roads. Add $75 million a year to Indy Parks. Create 4,100 arts jobs and double the arts budget.

That’s not a platform. That’s a Christmas list. And it’s only November.

Here’s what wasn’t on it. A price tag for pre-K. A dollar figure for the arts budget, current or doubled. The size of the city bonds she wants to issue to make borrowing cheaper for developers. And, most importantly, where any of the money comes from.

The only hard numbers are $1 billion for roads and $75 million a year for parks, and neither one comes with a funding source. Indy Parks is set to get about $54 million in 2027. Adding $75 million on top of that isn’t a bump. It’s more than doubling the department.

Asked about taxes, Hunley said she isn’t ready to roll out a tax policy, but she mentioned “taxing tools” other than raising income taxes. That’s a bit like a contractor telling you he has “building tools” when you ask for the bid.

And I’m not throwing stones from the cheap seats here. When I ran for mayor in 2023, I had a roads plan, too.

It was simple: a penny more on every gallon of gas sold in the city, with the money earmarked for local roads and sidewalks. Say there’s a gas station at 16th and Meridian. Every gallon sold there kicks in an extra penny, and that money goes to fix the streets and sidewalks in that neighborhood, usually within about a mile of the pump. You buy gas there, you see where your penny went.

My team hated it. Their advice was blunt: you can’t run as a Republican advocating a tax increase. I told them I was running on fiscal responsibility, and fiscal responsibility means being honest with people about what things cost and who’s going to pay for them.

The idea never got off the ground. But I’ve always said that if you’re going to offer something up, you owe people the bill along with the menu.

So, Andrea, here’s my advice.

First, tell us who pays. If it’s property taxpayers, say so. If it’s a new local tax, say so. If it’s bonds, tell us how much, for how long and who’s on the hook when the payments come due. If it’s federal money, name the programs. If it’s moving money around the budget, tell us what gets cut.

Second, do it before somebody does it for you. Vop Osili already has a housing plan out, and David Bride knows the city’s books from the DPW side. If Joe Hogsett or Ryan Mears gets in, the money questions will only get louder. You can answer them on your terms now, or on somebody else’s terms in April.

Third, don’t be afraid of the honest answer. Voters in this town can handle the truth. What they can’t stand is being treated like they won’t notice. As Wimpy put it, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” They’ve heard that one before.

You’ve got time. The primary isn’t until May. You’ve shown us what’s for dinner. Now show us the check.

Abdul-Hakim Shabazz is the editor and publisher of IndyPolitics.org and an attorney licensed in Indiana and Illinois. He finished second in the 2023 Republican mayoral primary. His roads plan never made it out of the strategy meeting.