Greg Ballard

Last updated

Greg Ballard
GregBallard.jpg
48th Mayor of Indianapolis
In office
January 1, 2008 –January 1, 2016

Ballard was born at Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis to Duard and Mary Ballard. He was born and raised in the city. He graduated from Cathedral High School, a Roman Catholic school. Ballard earned a bachelor's degree in Economics from Indiana University Bloomington. Ballard became a member of Delta Tau Delta.

After graduating, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He continued his education while serving in the Marines, becoming a distinguished graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and attained a master's degree in military science from the Marine Corps University, which included operations analysis studies. While stationed in California, he met his future wife Winnie. He later was transferred to Okinawa, Japan.

He served in the first Gulf War. His military career culminated in his service with the United States European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, where he retired in 2001 with 23 years of service. While in the service, he earned numerous awards, including the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.

Business career

Beginning in 2001, Ballard worked for Bayer in Indianapolis, before becoming self-employed as a leadership and management consultant. He authored and self-published The Ballard Rules: Small Unit Leadership. He has also taught seminars at the Indiana Business College.

Mayor of Indianapolis

Elections

2007

Ballard was the only Republican to file for mayor, as few members of the city's once-dominant Republican Party were willing to run against Peterson. Ballard was dramatically outspent by Peterson. He had only $300,000 in campaign funds and low name recognition when he began the race. [2]

In comparison, Peterson already had $2.9 million in April while Ballard had only $9,560 at the time. [3]

As late as October 14, Ballard had run no television ads. [3] An October 19 campaign finance report showed that Peterson had raised $1.5 million since April and still had that much on hand to spend. At that point, Ballard had only $51,000 left, meaning Peterson had 30 times the funds that Ballard had during the last three weeks of the campaign. [4]

On November 6, 2007, Ballard defeated incumbent Mayor Peterson 50%–47%, a difference of 5,312 votes. [5] Unhappiness with rapidly increasing taxes [6] and crime were seen as the biggest reasons for Peterson's defeat. Republicans also recaptured control of the City-County Council for the first time in four years. In his acceptance speech, Ballard told the audience he considers this campaign "the classic, if not the ultimate, example of grassroots politics." [7]

2011

Ballard won re-election to a second term, defeating former Deputy Mayor Melina Kennedy, 51%–47%. [8] [9]

Mayoralty

Ballard with wife, Winnie, at the 2015 500 Festival Parade. Mayor Greg Ballard - 2015 500 Festival Parade - Stierch 1.jpg
Ballard with wife, Winnie, at the 2015 500 Festival Parade.

Ballard was sworn into office on Tuesday, January 1, 2008, at the Indiana War Memorial, in downtown Indianapolis. Ballard chose this site saying that it honored the men and women of the armed services. Ballard said his first act as mayor would be to put the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department back under mayoral control, instead of its then-current control by Marion County Sheriff Frank J. Anderson. [3]

The Ballard administration took steps to sell the city's water and wastewater utilities to Citizens Energy Group and spend the $450 million the city received in return on street repair. Improvements included paving, resurfacing, new sidewalks, more greenways, and bridge repair. [10]

On September 9, 2010, Ballard announced the first batch of projects in the city's RebuildIndy initiative. The $55 million package of street, sidewalk and bridge projects is spread around the city, with many side streets selected for resurfacing as well as some major roads. Ballard also announced a $2 million set of projects that will improve traffic flow and pedestrian access in targeted areas along Michigan Road from Cold Springs Road to 86th Street—a stretch with few sidewalks—and along 71st Street and Westlane Road in the same area. The projects kick off an aggressive infrastructure improvement program. The mayor's office anticipates spending more than $500 million on such projects in coming years, largely funded by proceeds from the pending sale of the city's water and sewer systems to Citizens Energy Group, a nonprofit trust, and stimulus money. The utilities transfer is awaiting approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission after winning the City-County Council's OK earlier this year. Among its selling points for Ballard is the money to fund infrastructure improvements—though Ballard has said the city's needs are so great that the money won't cover them all. [11]

On August 19, the City of Indianapolis announced it has received $13.8 million more than originally expected from a bond issue secured by the pending sale of its water and sewer utilities to Citizens Energy Group. The bond proceeds of $153.8 million compare with $140 million originally anticipated as one of the chunks of money from selling the utilities. The money is to be spent on street, bridge, and sidewalk projects, under the city's “RebuildIndy” program. That would bring total proceeds from selling the utilities—before subtracting fees and other costs related to the sale—to $504.4 million, from $490.6 anticipated when the City-County Council approved the sale. [12]

In October 2008, Ballard announced the creation of the city's first Office of Sustainability and unveiled the SustainIndy initiative. The community-wide plan is focused on taking local action to be more environmentally conscious. Kären Haley leads the office. [13] In August 2010, Ballard and the Office of Sustainability announced a program that provides incentives for property owners and developers to renovate or construct new buildings in a sustainable manner. [14]

On December 12, 2012, Ballard signed Executive Order #6, making Indianapolis the first major city in the United States to commit to the conversion of its entire municipal non-police fleet to electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. The mayor also outlined a plan to convert the entire city government vehicle fleet to post-oil technology by 2025. Ballard cited concern over the compromises to national security created by national oil dependence as the reasoning behind this step in energy security. Ballard stated that his team was working with automakers to have the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department serve as technical advisors and test drivers to accelerate the creation of the first plug-in hybrid police vehicle that meets the needs of a modern urban police force. Such a fleet could save up to $10 million per year. [15]

Personal life

Ballard is married to Winnie Ballard, together they have a son and a daughter. [16] He is an avid golfer. [17]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indianapolis</span> Capital and most populous city of Indiana, United States

Indianapolis, colloquially known as Indy, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. Indianapolis is situated in the state's central till plain region along the west fork of the White River. The city's official slogan, "Crossroads of America", reflects its historic importance as a transportation hub and its relative proximity to other major North American markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Carson</span> American politician (1938–2007)

Julia May Carson was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Indiana's 7th congressional district from 1997 until she died in 2007. Carson was the first woman and first African American to represent Indianapolis in the U.S. Congress. She was also the second African American woman elected to Congress from Indiana, after Katie Hall, and her grandson André Carson succeeded to her seat following her death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unigov</span> Consolidated government in Indiana, U.S.

Unigov is the colloquial name adopted by the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, to describe its consolidated city–county government. By an act of the Indiana General Assembly, Indianapolis consolidated with the government of Marion County in 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Indianapolis</span>

The flag of Indianapolis has a dark blue field with a white five-pointed star pointing upwards in the center. Around the star is a circular field in red. Surrounding the red field is a white ring, from which extend four white stripes from top to bottom and from hoist to fly, thus creating four equal quadrants in the field. The stripes are about one-seventh the width of the flag, with the white ring the same width as the stripes. The diameter of the red circle is about two-ninths the width of the flag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucas Oil Stadium</span> American football stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). It opened on August 16, 2008. The stadium was constructed to allow the removal of the RCA Dome and expansion of the Indiana Convention Center on its site. It is located on the south side of South Street, a block south of the former site of the RCA Dome. The stadium's naming rights belong to the Lucas Oil corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bart Peterson</span> American mayor

Barton "Bart" R. Peterson is an American lawyer and politician who served as mayor of the U.S city of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is also a past president of the National League of Cities. A Democrat, he was first elected in 1999 and later defeated in 2007 in a bid for a third term in what was widely viewed as a huge upset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Goldsmith</span> American politician

Stephen "Steve" Goldsmith is an American politician and writer who was the 46th mayor of Indianapolis. He also served as the deputy mayor of New York City for operations from 2010 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor of Indiana in 1988 and governor of Indiana in 1996. He is currently the Derek Bok Professor of the Practice of Urban Policy and Director of Data-Smart City Solutions at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In 2006, Goldsmith was elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Indianapolis</span> Central business district in Indiana, US

Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65, Interstate 70, and the White River, and is situated near the geographic center of Marion County. Downtown has grown from the original 1821 town plat—often referred to as the Mile Square—to encompass a broader geographic area of central Indianapolis, containing several smaller historic neighborhoods.

Frank J. Anderson was an American politician who served as Sheriff of Marion County, Indiana, from 2003 until 2011. He was the first black person to serve in that post and the second black Sheriff in Indiana after Oatess E. Archey, who was elected sheriff of Grant County, Indiana in 1998 and re-elected to another four-year term in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City-County Building (Indianapolis)</span> High-rise government building in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

The City-County Building is a 28-story municipal office building in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Completed in 1962, the high-rise houses several public agencies of the consolidated city-county government of Indianapolis and Marion County. Executive and legislative functions are carried out from the building; the county courts exited for a new courthouse in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Indiana's 7th congressional district special election</span>

Indiana's 7th congressional district special election of 2008 took place March 11, 2008, to fill the seat in the United States House of Representatives left vacant by the death of 7th district representative Julia Carson (D) on December 15, 2007. The election determined who would fill the vacancy for the rest of the 110th United States Congress. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels set the date for the special election. Both political parties had previously agreed to this date. Democrat André Carson won the election with an 18.17% voter turnout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Indianapolis</span> Overview of the government of Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

The Government of Indianapolis—officially the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County—is a strong-mayor form of mayor-council government system. Local government is headquartered downtown at the City-County Building.

Scott E. Reske was a Democratic member of the Indiana House of Representatives, representing the 37th District. He is a former chair of the Midwestern Legislative Conference, the Midwestern office of The Council of State Governments. Reske was a candidate for United States Representative in Indiana's 5th congressional district. He lost the election to Republican Susan Brooks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Indianapolis mayoral election</span>

The Indianapolis mayoral election of 2007 took place on November 6, 2007. Voters elected the Mayor of Indianapolis, members of the Indianapolis City-County Council, as well as several other local officials. Incumbent Democrat Bart Peterson was seeking a third term. Republicans nominated former Marine Greg Ballard to run against Peterson. In what was called "the biggest upset in Indiana political history", Ballard defeated Peterson 51% to 47%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">André Carson</span> American politician (born 1974)

André D. Carson is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Indiana's 7th congressional district since 2008. A member of the Democratic Party, his district includes the northern four-fifths of Indianapolis, including Downtown Indianapolis. He became the dean of Indiana's congressional delegation after Representative Pete Visclosky retired in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Indianapolis mayoral election</span>

The Indianapolis mayoral election of 2011 took place on November 8, 2011. Voters elected the Mayor of Indianapolis, members of the Indianapolis City-County Council, as well as several other local officials. Incumbent Republican Greg Ballard was seeking a second term. Democrats nominated former deputy mayor Melina Kennedy to run against Ballard. Ballard defeated Kennedy 51% to 47%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Hogsett</span> Mayor of Indianapolis since 2016

Joseph Hadden Hogsett is an American attorney, prosecutor, and politician who is the 49th mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to being elected, Hogsett served as the Secretary of State of Indiana from 1989 to 1994 and as the Chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party from 2003 to 2004. He was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1992, for Indiana's 2nd congressional district in 1994 and for Attorney General of Indiana in 2004. He most recently served as the United States attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 2010 to 2014. On November 3, 2015, he won the race for Mayor of Indianapolis in the 2015 election. He won reelection to a second term in 2019. In 2023, he won reelection to a third term in office.

Indianapolis World Sports Park is an American sporting complex in Indianapolis, Indiana. The site covers 46 acres (19 ha) at the former Post Road Community Park and consists of three multi-use fields for the sports of cricket, lacrosse, hurling, rugby, Australian rules football, and Gaelic football. The $5.1 million facility was completed in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Indianapolis mayoral election</span>

The Indianapolis mayoral election of 2015 took place on November 3, 2015. Voters elected the Mayor of Indianapolis, members of the Indianapolis City-County Council, as well as several other local officials. Incumbent Republican Greg Ballard did not run for re-election to a third term in office. Primary elections were held on May 5, 2015, with the Democrats nominating former secretary of state of Indiana and United States Attorney Joe Hogsett. Republicans nominated former Marine Chuck Brewer to face Hogsett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Indianapolis mayoral election</span>

An election for Mayor of Indianapolis was held on November 5, 2019. Joe Hogsett, the incumbent mayor, sought and won reelection for a second term in office.

References

  1. ↑ Becker, Gretchen. "Ballard says he will keep the city moving forward". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Mayor-elect is confident of his ability, leadership". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Marine who would be mayor|Indianapolis Star". Archived from the original on December 15, 2007.
  4. ↑ "WTHR – Indianapolis News and Weather – Peterson's fundraising far outweighs competition". Wthr.com. October 19, 2007. Archived from the original on November 17, 2007. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Our Campaigns - Mayor of Indianapolis Race". ourcampaigns.com. November 6, 2007.
  6. ↑ Zoom, Billy (November 6, 2007). "Bad News for Indianapolis Democrats". Daily Kos.
  7. ↑ "Ballard grabs upset win in mayoral race|Indianapolis Star". Archived from the original on March 18, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Our Campaigns - Mayor of Indianapolis Race - Nov 08, 2011". ourcampaigns.com.
  9. ↑ Murray, Jon (November 9, 2011). "Kennedy concedes Indy mayoral race to Ballard". Indianapolis Star . Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  10. ↑ Julie Loncich (June 2, 2010). "Rebuilding Indianapolis: $425 million could be spent on roads, sidewalks & abandoned houses". fox59.com. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  11. ↑ Murray, Jon (April 19, 2012). "North Marion County". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  12. ↑ Chris O'Malley. "City lands $13.8M more than expected from water deal". IBJ.com. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  13. ↑ Inside INdiana Business.com Report. "Indianapolis Creates Office of Sustainability – Newsroom – Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick". Insideindianabusiness.com. Retrieved April 24, 2012.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  14. ↑ Ferber, Dan (January 28, 2013). "Red state, green Republican: a Q&A with Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard". Midwest Energy News. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  15. ↑ Staff. "City Fleet and Energy Security". Official Website of the City of Indianapolis and Marion County. Mayor's Office. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  16. ↑ Indy.gov. "Mayor's Biography". indy.gov.
  17. ↑ "Mayor-elect man about town: phone calls, handshakes, hugs". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Indianapolis
2008–2016		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.