I'm Vop Osili, and I Know How to
Get Things Done.
I'm Vop Osili, and I Know How to
Get Things Done.
Let's be real. Indianapolis has challenges. Streets that need repair. Neighborhoods that have waited too long for investment. Families being priced out of the homes they've spent a lifetime building. I won't pretend these problems don't exist. But outrage serves no purpose unless you put it to work.
So that's what I've done. I came to public service as an architect, and I've approached the work the way an architect must: by understanding both the reach and the restrictions of local government, and then building things that last. I'm not interested in playing politics or scoring points. I'm focused on achieving the results we all want to see.
When families on the west side needed pathways to good jobs, we launched free workforce training. When entrepreneurs couldn't get the funding they needed to build their livelihoods, we created the city's first small business loan program. When longtime homeowners in Riverside told me they were being taxed out of the neighborhoods they built, I took that fight to the Statehouse and stayed with it for seven years until property tax relief became law. When the pandemic threatened to put thousands of our neighbors out of their homes, we moved nearly $46 million in rental assistance to 21,000 households, because in a crisis, government has to work.
None of this was accomplished alone. It took neighbors, community partners, and colleagues willing to do the steady, often unseen work of governing. That is how a city moves forward. I have never believed that your race or your zip code should predict your quality of life or your access to opportunity. And I've fought my whole career to make sure that isn't how things work in Indianapolis.
What follows is my record. There is more to build, and I hope you will build it with us.
2012
First year on the Indianapolis City-County Council
Led expansion of the Downtown TIF district, funding infrastructure for what is now Bottleworks
Raised $170K to launch the NW Quality of Life Program for Riverside and former UNWA neighborhoods
2013
Sponsored the Reentry Policy Study Commission, which produced 26 policies including Ban-the-Box for City job applications
Secured $1.5M to launch PowerTrain Indy: free workforce training for west-side and near-northside neighborhoods
2014
Secured $2M to launch the city's first small business loan program (up to $50K) and business coaching, now run through the Indy Chamber
2015
Began the Statehouse property tax relief effort that became SB46 (2023)
Led the unanimous Council vote approving $75M in bonds to create the 16 Tech Innovation District
2016
Led the Council requirement that city-incentivized housing projects include affordable units
2018
Unanimously elected City-County Council President
Initiated the first Disparity Study since 2002 on minority- and women-owned business contracting barriers
Launched police accountability reforms: body-worn cameras, implicit bias training, oversight boards, and IMPD General Orders posted online
Championed the Safe Syringe Exchange program for Marion County
Helped launch Job Ready Indy and a rental housing pilot for non-violent offenders
Directed $14.4M+ to emergency pothole repairs
2019
Led the Council to make measurable inclusivity a benchmark for all budget priorities
2020
Steered the Council's $76M CARES Act response: $8M for homelessness, $1.1M for rapid reskilling, $4.3M for crime prevention
Expanded IndyRent rental assistance, ultimately delivering nearly $46M to ~21,000 households
Passed the unanimous Declaration of Racism as a Public Health Crisis; launched the Youth Council
2021
Partnered with IUPUI to build an equitable infrastructure funding methodology by Council district
Led the unanimous vote approving a $151M ARPA anti-violence commitment
2022
Passed the ~$1.4B budget: $150 property tax credit, $2M for mental health response, $500K for Indy Achieves, and IMPD pay raises and signing bonuses
2023
SB46 signed into law: property tax growth capped at 4% for longtime homeowners 55+, piloted in Riverside and now expanding
Sponsored the Downtown Economic Enhancement District, creating dedicated funding for downtown safety, cleanliness, and outreach
Passed the $1.561B budget unanimously: record $323M for IMPD, $284M for transportation, $25M for residential streets
2024
Passed the ~$1.65B budget: record ~$338M for IMPD, Vision Zero pedestrian safety, employee pay raises, and a standalone Animal Care Services agency ($8.2M)
2025
Led the charge allocating $2M to the Homeowner Repair Program in a $27.2M supplemental package
Expanded the SB46 property tax relief pilot to additional neighborhoods citywide
Wrote and passed the Responsible Bidder Ordinance, which sets minimum requirements for all contractors bidding on taxpayer-funded projects