INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis City-County Council committee voted to advance the 2026 budget for the Marion County Sheriff's Office at a meeting Wednesday.
This comes after a warning from Attorney General Todd Rokita, after some councilors questioned the Sheriff's budget and the office's cooperation with federal immigration efforts.
“I found it somewhat offensive when our attorney general sent us a threatening letter. I don’t think it’s proper when one form of government attacks another form of government," Councilor Dan Boots said.
The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee met on Wednesday.
On the agenda, parts of next year's budget dealing with law enforcement, including the MCSO.
Councilor Crista Carlino voted against the proposal, but not for the reasons Rokita claims.
“The allegations that the AG made are simply unfounded and not true, and really highlight a misunderstanding of the function of our body, and particularly this committee and how our budget process works," Carlino said.
In a letter to the council, Rokita said, "It will be in violation of state law if it used its budget authority to pressure MCSO to stop cooperating with ICE."
Carlino says that was not the council’s intention.
“For the AG to think that we’re cutting funding from the sheriff’s office is ridiculous. In fact, I voted no because there are funding issues at our sheriff’s office," she said.
Councilor Michael-Paul Hart also voted against the proposal, but for different reasons.
“There are concerns that I had with the IMPD budget, which had to do with police morale. The last thing we want to do is lose any police, and the one thing the police chief asked for was dollars to make new cars for his officers," Hart said.
At a committee meeting earlier this month, Sheriff Kerry Forestal said the Adult Detention Center houses an average of 100 ICE detainees at any given time.
This is an increase from previous years.
Hart says the Sheriff is just complying with federal guidance.
“Our council is funding the jail. We have to fund a jail. And the jail is doing what they have to do by statute.”
The full City-County Council will vote on the final 2026 budget on October 6.
