Resident's push for a 13th Street corridor committee stalls — council says it has to start with the mayor's office

What happened

Resident Dwayne Malone asked the council to create an ad hoc committee focused on investment in the 13th Street corridor, telling the council that Black residents make up about 8% of Vigo County's population but 30–40% of the county jail's population on a given day. Council leadership said the council has not had time to take the request up because, under the city's budget process, an initiative like this has to start as a funding proposal from the mayor's office before the council can act on it.

Who it affects

Residents of the 13th Street corridor and Black residents Malone says are disproportionately represented in the county jail, who he says need community investment and support rather than being written off.

The outcome

No committee was created at this meeting. Council members said they can appropriate funds once a proposal reaches them, but cannot direct how city money is spent — that authority belongs to the mayor's office.

Sources

• Malone requests an ad hoc committee, 3:09
• Council: nothing formally before us yet, 3:59
• Council can appropriate but not direct spending, 4:29
• Jail population racial disparity cited, 6:01

Also known as: 13th Street corridor · ad hoc committee request · 13th 3/4 Street · jail population racial disparity Vigo County · Dwayne Malone 13th Street