Prof. William Dakan of the University of Louisville's Department of Geography has drawn the 26 council districts to include six districts in which the majority of the population is African American. That is 23 percent of the council seats, compared to 19 percent of the county population. In Indianapolis, 28.5 percent of the council members are African American. In Nashville, 27.5 percent of the council members are African American. Meanwhile, your taxes cannot be increased by the new council.
State law imposes the maximum occupational tax rate.
State law also requires the vote of the people before tax revenues can increase more than 4 percent a year. Even if the new council wanted to commit political suicide by raising taxes, state law prohibits them from doing it. What the Unity Plan does is create less government. One chief executive rather than two chief executives. By combining up to eight departments that account for nearly 20 percent of the current two governments' budget, we will have a smaller government and save money.