INDIANAPOLIS -- One of Indianapolis' northwest side neighborhoods says it feels left behind by Mayor's Neighborhood Advocates program.
Ted Feeney lives in the Butler-Tarkington Neighborhood. He says in the past year, the area has had four different advocates assigned to it due to turnover in the mayor's office.
"It's sort of frustrating where, last year in 2016, with all of the public safety issues happening across the city, our neighborhood and the areas surrounding us went through four different neighborhood advocates," Feeney said.
The advocates, formerly known as township administrators and neighborhood liaisons, are intended to provide a direct link to the mayor's office and to city departments and services.
When he took office last year, Mayor Joe Hogsett renamed the program to the Mayor's Neighborhood Advocates and implemented a number of changes, including adding a 10th advocate and moving the staffers to the same floor as the mayor's office.
During his campaign, Hogsett released a document outlining his "vision for Indianapolis neighborhoods" calling for a neighborhood-centric plan for the city.
"If we are truly to become one city, we must ensure that no neighborhood is left behind, forgotten or abandoned," Hogsett wrote.
Feeney said because of the turnover in Butler-Tarkington's advocate, he doesn't feel like that vision has reached his neighborhood.
"It's frustrating, because we're not getting that communication, or items that are a priority for the mayor aren't reaching us," Feeney said.
Deputy Mayor Dr. David Hampton, who oversees the neighborhood advocates program, said he couldn't comment on specific staffing issues but acknowledged that Butler-Tarkington's advocate position has had vacancies over the past year.
But Hampton stressed that he feels the advocates are achieving their goals across the city.
"We've heard very positive feedback from our new advocates," Hampton said. "Of course, many of them are new in this administration. As with any new administration, you're going to have transition. But we feel that our advocates are doing an excellent job, and not only do we see that, but we hear that in the community."
Hampton pointed to the demolition of the abandoned Grandma Lloyd's Mobile Home Park on the west side as a direct result of feedback to the area's neighborhood advocate. And the demolition of the former RCA plant on the east side, set to begin this month, also has the advocate program to thank, he said.
MORE | Abandoned Grandma Lloy's Mobile Home Park demolished | Long-awaited demolition to begin at abandoned RCA/Thomson plant on the east side
Hampton said Butler-Tarkington's new neighborhood advocate started work this month, but that even when there are vacancies, the mayor's office makes sure other advocates are on hand to fill in the gap.
"Transitioning from the Mayor's Neighborhood Liaisons to Mayor's Neighborhood Advocates was more than just a matter of nomenclature, it was a transition to better connect and invest in our neighborhoods," Hampton said. "It was also an attempt to increase communication and visibility. We also want to ensure transparency between this office and all of our neighborhoods."
If you aren't sure who your neighborhood advocate is, you can find out online here. The city of Indianapolis also offers the RequestIndy app on iPhone and Android phones, which allows you to send feedback directly to the mayor's office.
