Mayor Ballard Proposes Income Tax Credit for Education Non-Profits - Huh?



Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard

Today Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard released his education plan, which is outlined in the blog HoosierEd.

While I applaud Ballard's efforts on education reform, perhaps this proposal was put together too quickly.  I quote from the first section entitled "Make Indianapolis National Headquarters for Education Reform Movement":

To make Indianapolis the national headquarters for this growing movement, Mayor Ballard will attract education reform leaders and groups to locate in our city. Mayor Ballard will offer an income tax credit to nonprofit education reform organizations that locate in the city. This credit would refund local income taxes to the nonprofit group to reinvest in their mission.

Uh, Mayor, non-profits don't pay income taxes, federal state or local.  A credit for taxes that an organization doesn't pay is not much of an incentive to relocate to Indianapolis.