Column: Hall: Why I am the right choice to serve

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Commentary by Mark Hall

In the spirit of fellow Hoosier David Letterman, here is our campaign’s top 10 list – my case for why I am the right choice to serve the people of Noblesville. I am grateful for the opportunity to make my case and humbly ask for your vote.

1. I choose to live here and have for the last 32-plus years. I’m emotionally invested in Noblesville. I care deeply about the people that live here, what happens to us and how we are governed. I have vested roots here, and this is where my people live and are growing up/old. I raised my family and made my life here. I have family in Noblesville from age 94 to age 12 months. I am passionate about the community where we live our lives, not only for my family but for all our neighbors.

2. My business was founded in Noblesville in a spare bedroom in 1993. I have numerous business ties to employers in Noblesville, central Indiana and across the country. I know economic development because it’s what I live each day at work. I have learned in part by making a payroll every Friday for more than 1,500 Fridays. With more than 30 years experience employing tens of thousands of people, including hundreds of Hoosiers annually, my expertise is in operations, workforce planning, composition and delivery. As a CEO, the experience that I bring to the council is well beyond that of my opponents. I have decades of deep, real-world experience with seven-figure budgets, finance, insurance, risk mitigation, negotiating large contracts, organizational structure, retention, training and workforce agreements. None of my opponents has this depth of experiences.

3. I self-funded 99.6 percent of this campaign, and as such owe no favors to any contributor, vendor or politician. I am independent and will be truly impartial in representing my neighbors.

4. I know what it takes to run a $72 million enterprise (the budget of Noblesville). I run a seven-figure budget in my own business. I have a rich understanding of finance, insurance, contracts, taxes, debt, financial statements, negotiation, technology, law, accounting, environmental remediation, construction and education. I am the only candidate with this size and scope of experiences.

5. I know what it takes to attract business to Noblesville. For 30-plus years, I meet regularly with business owners in Indiana and throughout the country helping them solve their workforce problems. Often, the solution involves location. My experience is a natural fit to help the next administration attract and retain businesses that offer great long-term employment for the citizens of Noblesville. I am the only candidate with this success in their past. I am the only candidate who regularly meets with executives looking for talent and locations for their businesses.

6. In addition to leading the board of directors for my own companies, I have more than 20 years of board experience with substantial nonprofit enterprises. I have served as board president for Freedom School (English-speaking school in the Dominican Republic) and Truth At Work (faith-based CEO and executive leadership development). The depth of my real-world board experience exceeds that of my competitors.

7. I have invested the time to build solid relationships with all four mayoral candidates and can serve with and alongside any of the four. I have built relationships with all the common council members and will be able to serve alongside them should they be retained. I have built relationships with all the challengers running against incumbents in the primary and will be able to serve alongside them should they be elected. I have great relationships with the Hamilton County Council members who genuinely have the interests of the people at heart. My opponents have not invested the time to build these critical relationships for the people of Noblesville. I believe they are important and that the citizens are worth all this effort.

8. I put protecting taxpayers first. First responders are the front line of protection. They must be well-trained and equipped to serve the 62,000-plus citizens of our community. World-class city services are non-negotiable. We must deliver great value and respect the taxpayer customer as our reason for being there. These aren’t just words to me. I am the only candidate that has offered a compensation plan designed to retain the excellent first responders that we have in Noblesville. I am the only candidate advocating for three-year agreements with first responders to save money, time and aggravation. Lastly, I am the only candidate advocating for the reversal of the benefits reductions to first responder retirees.

9. I believe that we must respect our history. Downtown Noblesville, the courthouse square and the surrounding blocks contain some of the most nostalgic, historically significant and beautiful architectural structures in Indiana. The blend of old and new is a constant visual reminder of where we came from. The exclusive flavor of design is impossible to replicate. It’s critical that we respect where we came from and that we remember we are responsible for preserving our history for future generations. I am the only candidate from District 1 that jumped in and spent countless hours during these past two years working with the parties in dispute and offering solutions between our city officials and the Indiana Transportation Museum.

10. What you see is what you get. I’ve put in writing exactly what I will do and how I will act. I am the only candidate to do so. There is no ambiguity in how I will serve the people of Noblesville. None of my opponents have committed to “how we will work for you.” I have. I understand that this is the honor of public service and act accordingly.

Elections in my lifetime have become popularity contests that remind me of high school prom. Instead of casting a vote based on popularity or even friendship this election, let’s objectively look at who is the most qualified for the job. Who brings the chops, experience and autonomy to the table that we all say Noblesville needs? Which candidate has told you exactly how they will act? Who has the conviction to stand up for all of us common folks and say no when that needs to happen, who will rubber-stamp another 9-0 vote, who will say yes when needed?

I close by saying that I have the best blend of experience, knowledge and relationships to be the most effective candidate representing District 1 on the Noblesville Common Council. I trust the voters and humbly ask that you give me the honor of serving you.


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