September 19th, 2019
In Search of Autumn
With an October 1 forecast of 90 degrees (next Tuesday), we pose the two-part question, “Where did September go?” and “Where is fall sweater weather?” … We can only hope it means a few more weeks of Indiana sweet corn and tomatoes. With that hopeful thought, on to this week’s installment of “3 for Thursday.”
What’s All this About Another Referendum? School referendums are quickly becoming a recurring item at the ballot box, and this November is no different. Carmel Clay Schools is proposing a tax referendum that would generate 5 cents for every $100 of assessed property value over an eight-year period. The money will go toward increasing mental health services and hiring around 11 to 13 new school resource officers – police officers with special training in educational settings. Referendums in general are a relatively new concept in Indiana (but ever increasing) … so how did we get here? We recently sat down with Hamilton Southeastern Schools’ CFO Mike Reuter and asked that question. Take a minute to watch our latest installment of “One-on-OneZone.” More questions? Two more installments with Reuter to follow in upcoming weeks!
Taking the First Step . Last week, the Carmel City Council took the first step in preparing the Monon Center for redevelopment. The 8.7 acre retail center located on Range Line Road will now be considered part of the City Center Redevelopment Area TIF district. You may recall that about a year ago, the Carmel Redevelopment Commission (CRC) purchased the property for $15 million with the intent to enter into a public-private development partnership. Next step: seeking developers and proposals. Meanwhile, a handful of businesses remain; the CRC says it will provide 12-months’ notice prior to demolition.
It’s Official – LIT is Legit . Hamilton County will increase its local income tax to 1.1 percent, sharing costs for its 911 operation to all residents and not just the four largest municipalities. Under the old model, 911 operations in 2020 would have cost Carmel $3.4 million, Fishers $2.4 million, Westfield $1.3 million and Noblesville $1.9 million.