Indianapolis — Mayor Joe Hogsett released a statement regarding the City-County Council proposal to increase the vehicle excise surtax and wheel tax in Marion County.

Hogsett says two principles have guided his approach to infrastructure: residents deserve stronger, sustained investment in their roads, and they should not be asked to pay more in taxes. He adds that the administration has made a deliberate and sustained commitment to infrastructure, nearly tripling funding for Indianapolis roads over the past decade.

Through persistent advocacy at the Statehouse, Hogsett’s administration secured an additional $50 million in state road funding and developed a plan to meet the required match for these state dollars in 2027. He says this was achieved without raising taxes.

Hogsett notes that families across the city face rising costs at the gas pump, in utility bills, at the grocery store, and on everyday essentials. He says now is not the moment to ask them to shoulder an additional financial burden, especially with a proposal that would place the heaviest burden on those who can least afford it.

He says the city owes it to community members to deliver solutions that invest in infrastructure without placing additional financial strain on hardworking families, and that the proposal presented is not the solution.

— Mayor Joe Hogsett