When Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness wrapped-up a media briefing on the 2023 city budget proposal, he laid-out a reminder of what is coming in economic development – $1 billion in development.
The city has announced a new Andretti Motorsports headquarters in the southeast section of the airport, near Ritchey Woods. That amounts to a $200 million investment in Fishers.
So, what about the remaining $800 million in developments coming? Fadness teased that those economic development projects will all be brought before the City Council at the next regular session September 19. The mayor brought this up because Fadness’ 2023 budget plan will be presented to the full Council at that regular meeting, but Fadness says the spending plan will likely be overshadowed by the big economic development agreements.
When something like this comes up, my mind harkens back to May of 1991, when I first moved to Fishers. The 1990 census counted about 7,500 people residing in the Town of Fishers. It was a much different place.
Many complain that they miss the Fishers of yesteryear. Many years ago, I asked Mayor Fadness about those arguments. He was clear about one thing – his view is that a city is either going forward or backward – staying in place is not an option because that translates into going backward.
There is no question Fishers has the foot on the floorboard with the accelerator at top speed. If Scott Fadness chooses to run for another term as mayor and wins, I would suspect that accelerator will remain at high speed forward.
But as someone living in Fishers since 1991, it is hard to get my head around a number like $1 billion of investment in this community. We should have more details in the coming weeks.
I have been writing a local news blog in Fishers for over ten years and cannot remember a time when the local police have released audio and video related to a specific incident.
But that’s what happened Thursday morning.
Fishers Police say there have been “inquiries” into what happened near 131st Street and Brooks School Road April 29th. As a result, the department has chosen to release audio and video related to that incident.
The video, including audio of the initial police radio conversations and video from the police from that situation, has been released and posted on YouTube. The video can be accessed at the link below. Be aware, it is just under one hour in duration.
With the deadline for filing as a candidate for a seat on the Hamilton Southeastern School Board looming Friday at noon, we had one more filing Wednesday.
Carla Cork has filed for the District 3 board seat.
Here is the listing of candidates, as of 4:14pm Wednesday:
District 1
Brad Boyer
Jackie Howell
Tiffany Pascoe
District 2
Juanita Y. Albright
Janet Pritchett
District 3
Dawn Lang
Carla V. Cork
District 4
Julie A. Chambers
Chad Curtis
Harry Delks
Ben Orr
In this election, voters cast ballots only for the district where they reside within the HSE school district.
To access the district map, use this link and on the right hand side of the page, click under “Current District Lines.”
Mayor Fadness explains his 2023 budget proposal to the City Council Finance Committee
The proposed 2023 Fishers City budget is $144.4 million, compared to the 2022 spending plan of $121.6 million. However, Mayor Scott Fadness is quick to point out debt service payments will increase next year to $33.9 million, largely due to additional bonding related to road projects and the acquisition of HSE Utilities. The 2023 operating and capital piece of the budget is shown as $110.5 million.
Under the mayor’s proposal, city employees would receive a 4% pay increase and a one-time inflation bonus in January, equal to 3% of their pay. Elected officials will not receive the bonus. City number-crunchers say the average employee bonus computes to $1,365.
The city’s share of the property tax rate will decrease a bit in 2023 under the mayor’s plan, to 0.7115, compared to the 20222 rate of 0.7165 of each $100 of assessed valuation.
Under the mayor’s plan, the city’s cash reserve will grow from the 2022 $30.44 million to $33.1 million in 2023. Fadness says the agreement to share income tax distributions with Carmel will be expiring, losing that revenue source. He wants the extra cash in place for the new City Hall/Arts Center construction project, the new community center to be announced sometime this fall, Geist Waterfront Park and road projects.
The large increase in the cost of fleet vehicles, especially for police and fire, plus a 2-3 year timeline from order to delivery, has complicated the budget picture. The mayor cited inflation in general as a budget challenge.
The city touted its contract with Community Health, providing health insurance and services to municipal employees, limiting any premium increase to 3% with no reduction in coverage or increase in deductibles or copays.
The city is also taking on the salaries of additional firefighters with a new station in place.
The Finance Committee has more meetings scheduled, setting the stage for the September City Council meeting when the mayor and his staff will provide a presentation of his 2023 spending plan.
The mayor provided a comparison of the Fishers City tax rate with other cities in Hamilton County
City’s list of proposed infrastructure projects for 2023
CFO Katy Dowling reviews the three options for Fishers Elementary
The future of Fishers Elementary School was the issue in a Tuesday evening work session with the Hamilton Southeastern School Board and the board will be narrowing down the options as action is expected in the coming weeks.
Superintendent Yvonne Stokes told board members the decision on Fishers Elementary impacts other decisions to come for the school corporation. The board was presented with three options, each with a price tag of roughly $160 million. Stokes reminded the board it had instructed administrators to fashion options that would keep the Fishers Elementary staff together either at the current location on Lantern Road or another location in the area.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Katy Dowling reviewed all three options. One would call for a land exchange and the remaining two would call for the purchase of land for a new site.
Along with keeping the Fishers Elementary staff together, school staff incorporated efforts at equity in program locations, building a new intermediate school for relief at Hamilton Southeaster Intermediate & Junior High. The options also consider a reexamination of the feeder system, minimizing the need for future redistricting, providing families some predictability in their students educational paths.
Another consideration is providing a permanent home for the Focus Day program. (For more on the FOCUS program, use this link)
Board member Brad Boyer said his support of keeping the Fishers Elementary staff together was based on the current number of students, but administrators and other board members voiced safety and efficiency concerns, along with the ability to offer programs to the students at Fishers Elementary.
Board President Julie Chambers ended the work session saying she and Dr. Stokes would confer and the board will take up the issue at a regular board meeting in the coming weeks.
Another candidate has filed for a seat on the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board. Harry Delks, the current and long-time Facilities Director for HSE Schools, has filed to run in District 4.
It is presumed Mr. Delks would need to leave his post working for HSE Schools if elected.
Here is the rundown on the candidates for HSE School Board, as of close of business August 22nd:
District 1
Brad Boyer
Jackie Howell
Tiffany Pascoe
District 2
Juanita Y. Albright
Janet Pritchett
District 3
Dawn Lang
District 4
Julie A. Chambers
Harry Delks
Ben Orr
The deadline to file candidacy for the HSE School Board is noon August 26.
In this election, voters cast ballots only for the district where they reside within the HSE school district.
To access the district map, use this link and on the right hand side of the page, click under “Current District Lines.”
2022 celebrates the 10th anniversary of the annual Blues Fest at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater September 2nd & 3rd. Here is the lineup, with links with more information about each act:
No tickets are required for admission. Vendors will be on-site offering alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, food, and refreshments. Coolers, chairs, and blankets are welcome.
Free parking is located in the Switch, Police, and Spark Apartment garages. Street parking is also available throughout the Nickel Plate District and downtown Fishers.
The name Andretti is synonymous with auto racing throughout the world. Mario Andretti did not just win the Indianapolis 500, he was also a star in Formula One, winning the World Driving Championship.
Mario’s son Michael has always been described as the one with the business acumen in the family. Michael could never get that Indy 500 win as a driver, but cars he owns have entered victory lane 5 times at Indy.
Andretti Motorsports is making a bid to be part of Formula One and we will see where that goes. Any future Formula One Andretti team is expected to be headquartered in the Fishers facility.
The announcement Monday that Andretti Motorsports is constructing its world headquarters in Fishers was a mammoth win for Mayor Scott Fadness and his economic development team.
I have received a couple of questions about this announcement.
First, where exactly on the airport property will the complex be built? City officials say it will be at the southeast corner of the property – along Hague Rd. just south of Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve and along the Nickel Plate Trail.
The second question that has arisen deals with how the development may impact the wildlife at Ritchey Woods. According to the City of Fishers, part of the Andretti company’s interest in that location is being next to Ritchey Woods. “It will not encroach on the boundary and Andretti has strong interest in supporting/preserving the adjacent land and incorporating sustainability into this project,” according to city spokesperson Ashley Elrod. “They specifically mention the Nature First program in their release as a future benefit and collaboration.”
When Mayor Scott Fadness told me in a recent podcast that there was a project coming to Fishers that is “downright cool,” I suspect this is the one.
Artist’s rendering of new facility (photo provided)
The City of Fishers has been well-known for attracting high-tech enterprises, but now auto racing is part of the local business scene.
The State of Indiana announced Andretti’s plans Monday morning. Below is the full news release:
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Andretti Global, the parent company of Andretti Autosport, announced plans today to establish its universal motorsports headquarters in central Indiana, enabling increased innovation and creating up to 500 new jobs by the end of 2026.
“Indiana has long been the racing capital of the world, and Andretti Autosport’s commitment to growth here will only further cement our state’s leadership position in Motorsports and STEM-related pursuits,” said Governor Eric J. Holcomb. “This new campus will not only bring new, exciting employment opportunities and serve as an asset for one of our fastest-growing communities, but it will also show just how much this living legacy, one of the most globally iconic brands known, continues to invest in the future of our great state.”
“I am excited to celebrate this legendary racing family of entrepreneurs in their competitive quest to innovate in the global racing industry,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers. “Indiana continues to demonstrate leadership in this sector as well as its position as a premier destination for automotive, speed and mobility-focused industries.”
Andretti Global will invest $200 million to build a modern, 575,000-square-foot facility on 90 acres in Fishers near the Nickle Plate Trail, Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve and Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport. The new development will serve as the headquarters of Andretti’s global commercial functions and the base of operations for the team’s current NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Indy Lights and IMSA programs, as well as other future racing initiatives. In addition to housing day-to-day operations for the racing team, the building will be home to the advanced research and development efforts of Andretti Technologies.
“Indiana holds an important place in the history of racing, and in my career as a driver and an owner; I’m happy to confirm that the Racing Capital of the World will continue to be the home of our global racing efforts for a long time to come,” said Michael Andretti, chairman and CEO of Andretti Autosport. “Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked to expand our operations, and I’m proud of our steps to create a diverse racing portfolio. For us, it’s about more than just having somewhere to work on the cars; it’s about having a global motorsport home and sharing that with our people, our fans, and our sponsors to advance the sport and leave a lasting legacy.”
Planning of the new headquarters is underway, with construction expected to begin in the fall and the facility expected to be operational by 2025. The collaborative campus will feature modern technologies and create a work-life environment to support Andretti’s team, fans, and partners. Additionally, the headquarters’ location will allow Andretti Global the opportunity to welcome community and race fans from the around the world through involvement with the Fishers Parks Nature First program, planned indoor amphitheater and museum and innovation center that will preserve and showcase the Andretti legacy and inspire the future of motorsports.
“Partnering with Andretti to bring an incredible mix of innovation, visitor experiences and a commitment to the local community is a dream come true for this special property at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “Fishers will be a welcomed home for the future of Andretti, and I look forward to celebrating their successes together.”
Andretti operates worldwide in seven racing championships and across eight types of motorsports with 17 full-time drivers. Since establishing the team in 2003, Michael Andretti has built a diverse, global enterprise competing at the highest levels of motorsport and reaching all five habitable continents. In his time as a team owner, Andretti has collected 17 championship titles and 252 race wins – including five Indianapolis 500 victories, victory at the Bathurst 1000, a Sebring 12 Hour title and wins in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and Extreme E series.
“In 2015, the Indianapolis Airport Authority and the City of Fishers partnered to maximize the use of this land and thus increase to an even greater level the quality of life for residents of Fishers, said Mario Rodriguez, executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. “We are so pleased Andretti chose this location and supports the vision for this vital part of Fishers and the iconic team that leads this great effort.”
Pending approval of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) board of directors, the IEDC will commit an investment in Andretti Autosport of up to $19 million in the form of conditional tax credits and up to $125,000 in training grants based on the company’s plans to invest in its Indiana operations. The city of Fishers has approved additional incentives.
