Ballard's Controller Bails As Indianapolis' Budget Meltdown Begins

Indianapolis City Controller David Reynolds is leaving the Ballard administration just as the City-County Council gets down to serious work on the 2011 city-county budget. Reynolds has accepted the job as senior fiscal analyst for the Senate Republican Caucus. A press release from the caucus announcing Reynolds' move reads:

Indiana Senate Republicans are “counting on Indianapolis controller David Reynolds to help lawmakers develop the state's new, balanced two-year budget next session,” according to Senate President Pro Tem David Long (R-Fort Wayne).


Reynolds today accepted an offer from the Senate Majority Caucus to become its new senior fiscal analyst. He will replace Dan Novreske, a longtime Statehouse tax and budget expert, who is retiring in December after 39 years in state government – including five years as deputy director of the Indiana State Budget Agency (SBA) and nine years as senior fiscal analyst for the Senate.

Long said Novreske will stay on as a consultant through the next budget session to assure a smooth transition for Senate Appropriations Chair Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) and Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Chair Brandt Hershman (R-Lafayette). Vivienne Ross, Novreske's colleague, will continue in her position of Senate fiscal analyst.

Since 2008, Reynolds has served as controller for the city of Indianapolis under Mayor Greg Ballard. In that role, he has been the chief fiscal officer for the city and county and directed Ballard's budget development and implementation.

Prior to joining the Ballard administration, Reynolds served nine years with the SBA, six of those as deputy budget director. For five years, Reynolds was fiscal analyst for the Indiana House of Representatives.

“We knew going into this selection process that Dan Novreske’s institutional knowledge would be difficult to match,” Kenley said. “Fortunately as a Statehouse veteran, David Reynolds will bring to the position a wealth of knowledge about state government, its budget and its operation.”

Hershman said Reynolds’ arrival comes at a critical time. “David will be a key player as Senate lawmakers work with House counterparts and Gov. Mitch Daniels to craft a balanced two-year state budget during historically difficult economic times for our state and nation. His background involving Indiana’s state budgets and tax policies will be invaluable to lawmakers and taxpayers alike.”

Reynolds earned an associate’s degree in accounting from International Business College in Fort Wayne before completing his bachelor’s of science in business administration from Indiana University at the Fort Wayne campus. During government service, Reynolds continued his coursework toward his master’s in public administration at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.

A resident of Southeast Indianapolis, Reynolds served on the strategic planning committee for the Franklin Township Community School Corp. and as treasurer of the Parent Faculty Organization for Franklin Central High School. He was a board member and past president of the Franklin Township Civic League and served as a member of the Nativity Catholic Church Finance Committee.

Reynolds and his wife of 27 years, Joyce, are parents of four sons: Adam, 25; Andrew, 22; Philip, 16; and Matthew, 13.

“I have greatly valued my time serving Mayor Ballard, the city-county council, the agencies and taxpayers,” Reynolds said. “It has been a privilege to serve in an administration so committed to delivering high-quality public service while wisely investing every hard-earned taxpayer dollar.”

Novreske shared similar feelings toward his time in state government and had high praise for Reynolds’ selection. “It has been a privilege to advise the Senate on the state’s fiscal matters,” Novreske said. “David Reynolds is the perfect person to continue this important work.”

The smoke-and-mirrors budgeting that has been a hallmark of the Ballard administration has pretty much been exhausted and the chickens are coming home to roost. City revenues are plummeting in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Reynolds obviously saw the handwriting on the wall and bailed out before the really tough decisions had to be made.