Amos Hints GOP Tried To Pull Coup In Council President's Race

Radio talk show host Amos Brown hints in his latest column in the Indianapolis Recorder that Republicans on the Indianapolis City-County Council tried to plot with an African-American Democratic member of the council to elect a council president other than the candidate chosen by the Democratic caucus to lead the council, Maggie Lewis. Brown writes:

Did Republicans on the City-County Council and the mayor's office approach an African-American councilor to defect? I'm hearing buzz the Black council member was urged to vote for a white Republican for council president. But the GOP scoundrels couldn't get another Democrat to go along with the scheme.

While it may sound a bit far fetched at first blush, it cannot be discounted entirely. The last time the Republicans were in the minority during Mayor Bart Peterson's second term, Republican councilors enticed a couple of Democratic councilors to defect and elect then-Councilor Steve Talley as President over the Democratic-controlled council's president, Rozelle Boyd. When the council met for its organization meeting, the Republican caucus nominated and then provided the votes necessary to give Talley a majority of the votes to oust Boyd from the council leadership position. Republicans did not nominate a competing candidate for council president at Monday night's meeting, but they did nominate Talley for council vice president over the Democratic caucus' choice, Brian Mahern. When Talley withdrew his name, the Republicans attempted to nominate Vop Osili, who also declined the nomination. Talley, it should be pointed out, was awarded with the job of running Animal Care & Control during the early part of Mayor Greg Ballard's first term. He was forced out of the job due to concerns over deplorable conditions at the animal shelter and concerns about his management of the agency. It seems more likely the Republicans would have been trying to elect their preferred Democrat for the top job, not one of their own as suggested by Brown.