Dear Editor:
Twice this year, my dad, who lives in the Nora area of Indianapolis, has gotten a flat tire due to an extremely deep chuckhole along Westfield Boulevard between 86th Street and Real Street. Finally, after months of request for action, the City finally patched these chuckholes but these patches are only temporary.
The impact of the citywide potholes south of 96th Street is huge. Lower and middle class families are facing the financial burden of paying hundreds of dollars to pay for flat tires and realignments. Some are late to work or can’t show up due to a lack of transportation.
The problem is real, and yes, I live in Carmel where the roads are smooth and the potholes are filled quickly, but this is an issue that needs to be addressed by the entire region. We don’t want to see our neighbors to the south crumble to pieces and we want to help.
Some are calling for a commuter tax to fix these concerns.
It’s important to note that Carmel has more residents coming into the city during the day than leaving (a 14 percent net gain). So Carmel would actually make money with a commuter tax. It’s still not a great idea for the following reasons:
Commuters are not a drain
While it’s true that commuters drive on Indianapolis streets without paying local income tax to the area, they do go out to eat and support Indianapolis businesses which in turn pay property taxes. It could be argued that if not for the influx of workers from neighboring cities, the Indianapolis businesses that employ them and provide food and services to them would pay much less in property taxes – funds that flow to cities.
In addition, sales tax and food/beverage tax are boosted by commuters, a portion of which flow to cities. Finally, the businesses employing commuters headquartered in Indianapolis also pay taxes to the City. And, of course, not everyone who drives into Indianapolis does so for work. I only really go into Indianapolis for entertainment such as Pacers games or going out to eat. But if Indianapolis doesn’t invest in its roads, I might not choose to travel south anymore because I can’t risk the damage to my car.
Hard to determine impact
These proposals are based on the assumption that commuters are causing wear and tear on Indianapolis-owned roads. While this is certainly true, it’s hard to determine to what extent. Many commuters choose to take state roads or interstates such as I-465, I-65 or I-69. It would be hard to determine how many local roads are truly affected by commuters and some of the streets in the worst conditions in Indianapolis are far away from the circle or downtown Indianapolis. They’re in mostly residential areas.
Furthermore, not everyone who works at an Indianapolis business negatively affects Indianapolis roads. Some carpool, bike or take a bus. Some work from home several days a week even though the office is in Indianapolis. Many salespeople at Indianapolis-based businesses spend more time driving on the roads in Carmel driving to clients. And how do you factor for someone who works just over the county border? They could drive miles through Carmel or Fishers and literally be on the other side of 96th Street and suddenly taxes need to be redistributed.
It’s taxation without representation
If part of your taxes went to Indianapolis, their City-County Council — which you can’t vote for — gets to decide how to spend it. It’s essentially taxation without representation. If the money isn’t spent wisely, you couldn’t hold the elected officials accountable.
Adam Aasen
Carmel