It has been an honor and privilege to serve the City of Noblesville for nearly 16 years as mayor – and there is much work to be done as I close out my time in office this December. I am thankful that working alongside my administration and staff have been the elected members of the Noblesville Common Council, the city’s legislative branch and fiscal body.
We may not always agree on every decision, but I would like to thank each member of Council for helping make Noblesville the success it is today. They care deeply for our community and fight for what is best for the citizens they represent. They give countless hours of their time and expertise to examine, discuss and decide on important matters that move our city forward.
At the start of the most recent term in 2016, we kicked off a capital improvement plan that has seen significant progress completing trails and roundabouts while the first phase of construction on Finch Creek Park is due to be completed this year. And we moved forward with design and planning of the Pleasant Street extension, which we look forward to sharing with the community.
We made so much progress that in 2018 we announced the next set of priorities with the Noblesville NOW capital improvement plan. Construction is underway on the third phase of the Midland Trace Trail and on the Logan Street Pedestrian Bridge. Work is set to begin in May on our first downtown apartments in 100 years with a 300-space parking garage to support our downtown merchants.
Speaking of downtown, the heart of our community has been in good hands with today’s Council. Façade grants, new streetlights, alley activation and the streetscape master plan have all been made possible thanks to the leadership of your Council and with input gathered from the public. Just a short walk from the square, we’ve made improvements in Southside Park and opened the new Federal Hill Commons urban park and amphitheater. And we’re preparing for a major transformation of Seminary Park. Yes, the heart of historic Noblesville is stronger than ever and will continue to beat long into the future.
Likewise, Council action has strengthened the financial security of our community with approval of key economic development projects – but only after careful examination through the public process to ensure any city incentives supported worthwhile private investment. This included recent projects like:
- BorgWarner, which selected Noblesville for its new $15 million, 100,000 square foot tech center with $13 million in new personal property and 300 high-wage jobs;
- SMC Corporation for a $67 million expansion of its existing facility for 2.5 million square feet of total space, doubling its manufacturing capabilities and adding 92 new jobs; and most recently,
- Campus Center Development, a $31 million, 200,000 square foot redevelopment that will replace a junkyard at 146thStreet and Promise Road with attractive real estate for a new business park to include opportunities for commercial office and retail space and light industrial manufacturing.
Projects like these and others have brought about an increase in assessed value by nearly 16 percent over the last three years and 134 percent since 2004 – which helps keep all of our taxes low. As proof of our overall strong fiscal management, Noblesville has earned an outstanding AA rating from Standard and Poor’s.
We are fortunate in Noblesville to also enjoy a high degree of public safety. The work of Noblesville Police, as supported by our Common Council, has reduced violent and property crime by more than 36 percent over the past two years. And Noblesville Fire continues to rank high in response times even as they receive more emergency calls for help year after year.
Please join me in thanking these dedicated public servants who are working on your behalf to ensure Noblesville remains a strong, safe and vibrant community – your 2019 Common Council:
At-Large – Brian Ayer, Mark Boice and Darren Peterson; District 1 – Roy Johnson; District 2 – Chris Jensen; District 3 – Rick Taylor; District 4 – Wil Hampton; District 5 – Greg O’Connor; and District 6 – Megan Wiles.
John Ditslear
City of Noblesville Mayor
