When Fishers began formulating the city budget proposals for 2018, officials looked at the amount of income expected and the expense side of the ledger.  One source of income to the city is its share of the County Option Income Tax (COIT).  The state provides a formula as to how much cities are to receive from that revenue source.

Fishers leaders were surprised to find that the 2018 projected COIT money for Fishers would be $600,000 less than originally expected, while at the same time Carmel is to receive much more.  Fishers number-crunchers  began to ask – how did this happen?

City Controller Lisa Bradford laid out how this happened Thursday night before the City Council Finance Committee, and the answer lies with the City of Carmel property tax rate.

The Carmel rate was fairly steady during the years 2012-2016 at between 67 cents and 70 cents.  The rate went up to 83.5 cents in 2016, then went down in 2017 to just under 79 cents.

The COIT distribution formula is based on a “rolling average” of five years.

“When you jump that tax rate up, then your piece of the(COIT) pie, your average gets bigger,” Bradford told the committee.  “(Carmel’s) high debt is taking away from us.  We have been very conservative by not going with big spikes in (property tax) rate.”

“Sometimes, you get rewarded for bad behavior,” Coucilman and Finance Committee member John Weingardt said about the Carmel debt load.

A spirited debate about 2018 Fishers City Council salaries will likely be decided at the Monday night council session.  On September 18th, council members had a such a debate in a work session on whether to give councilors the same 5% pay raise other city workers are to receive in 2018.

There was a vote taken at the regular September 18th council session approving the 5% 2018 pay raise for members of the city council, on a vote of 5-2.  However, Councilman Todd Zimmerman told me after the meeting that he is not likely to vote in favor the the pay raise when there will likely be a vote to amend the provision at Monday’s meeting to finalize the 2018 city salary ordinance.  He voted yes September 18th just to allow 2 missing council members to weigh-in on the issue

That means there is not a guarantee there are 5 votes on the council to pass the pay raise when the salary ordinance amendment is expected to be voted upon.  Council members John Weingardt and Selina Stoller were not present at the September 18th council meeting, but all 9 councilors are expected to be on hand for the October 16th vote.

City council members held a private Republican Party caucus Thursday evening as I was waiting for the council’s Finance Committee meeting to begin (as you probably know, all council members are Republicans).  Let’s just say I could hear voices raised at that session, even behind the closed doors.

You may recall a recent announcement that a Fishers high-tech startup firm is planning to move from its cramped quarters south of 116th Street in downtown Fishers to the new Braden Building, which is nearing completion in the Nickel Plate District downtown.  All that is still true, but one thing is now changing.

Fuzic will now be known by the name Vibenomics.  Scott McCorkle, Executive Chairman for Fuzic, explained the reasons in a company news release.

This is an effort to avoid potential trademark issues and better reflect the company’s full potential as a marketing software platform, according to McCorkle.

“Our marketing software has capabilities far exceeding the distribution of music,” McCorkle said. “We enable location-based businesses to create and control a vibe with custom audio marketing that will drive the economics of the business, and we now have a name that speaks to that mission.”

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

The number of drug overdose deaths in Hamilton County this year has reached 36 as compared with only half that many at this time last year.

That kind of increase is very troubling to health care providers and public officials alike. But, no one seems to know how to successfully halt the growing problem.

Heroin, laced with the powerful drug fentanyl, seems to be a big part of the increasing problem. The mixture has produced deadly results in some of the more recent overdose cases locally.

Another drug, Narcan, has aided in keeping many overdose cases from becoming fatal. But, some drug users have now begun counting on Narcan to save them, and after being assisted by its use, have gone back to illegal drug use only to need another lifesaving dose of the antidote. Public agencies such as police, courts, prosecutor and the health department each are doing their authorized duty to deal with their particular part of the drug problem. But, arrest, prosecution, and drug education do not appear to be slowing drug use although the problem could be even worse if not for these efforts.

In addition to heroin, the use of methamphetamine, commonly called meth, is also regarded as a part of the problem. It is largely supplied by out-of-county sources, according to Prosecutor Lee Buckingham. Not much meth is made locally, he believes. The other drugs seem to come from both local and surrounding county sources. Buckingham meets regularly with heads of the county police agencies, and drugs are a topic of conversation with the officers exchanging information and ideas on fighting the problem which the prosecutor says is “ravaging” the county. He does not recommend the needle exchange program for drug users now in effect in 10 Indiana counties. He feels that program does nothing to end drug abuse and may even contribute to the problem by making drug use seem safer.

Statewide, the heroin epidemic has become a priority of Gov. Holcomb’s administration. This week, Indiana University pledged $50 million toward studying and finding a method of combating the crisis.

At least partially due to the increase in drug deaths, a county morgue has been authorized for the first time in history. It will be located in a dedicated portion of Riverview Hospital. More than $1 million has been approved for the facility with county government paying $567,000 and the hospital providing another $500,000.

County Coroner John Chalfin asked for the morgue because the county does not have a sufficient number of refrigerated chambers at hospitals and funeral homes to handle the bodies of the dead not only from drug fatalities, but increasing number of other coroner cases as well.

Chalfin is also seeking approval of new cause-of-death forms which will provide more specific and detailed causes of a person’s demise. He has had problems establishing the true nature of some deaths, especially when drugs are suspected of being involved.

Hamilton County Reporter

Victoria Spartz (R-Noblesville) took the oath of office today, becoming the state senator representing District 20. She was sworn in by Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush.

Spartz fills the Senate seat previously held by State Sen. Luke Kenley, who retired last month. She will finish the remainder of his term, serving portions of Hamilton County.

“I am eager to begin my first session with the General Assembly,” Spartz said. “It is a privilege to be the voice of the constituents in Senate District 20, and I plan to work hard to make Indiana an even better place to call home.”

Spartz earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the National University of Economics in Ukraine as well as a Master of Professional Accountancy from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis.

Spartz is a certified public accountant, farmer, small business owner and adjunct faculty for Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis. She previously worked in the Big Four public accounting firms and as the chief financial officer of the Indiana Attorney General’s Office.

She, her husband and their two daughters live in Noblesville.

Constituents can contact Spartz by phone at 317-232-9400, by email at Senator.Spartz@iga.in.gov or by mail at 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204.

American cities have come a long way from our agricultural and industrial pasts, now cities are expected to provide residents with an “experience” like Parks and Recreation.  That’s the message Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness provided to the Parks and Recreation Foundation during their breakfast Thursday morning at Saxony Hall.

“Cities are in the experience business,” the mayor said.  “I have to create an experience here that is second to none, that attracts human capital here to our community because businesses will locate to where the human capital’s at.”

Fadness told the crowd pedestrian connectivity is now a major component of how a city must design itself.  He emphasized how important parks are to connecting those dots.

Green space and social infrastructure are also important ways parks fit into how a city develops.  He talked about the latest big green space for Fishers, the planned park on Geist Reservoir.  He also explained that Parks & Recreation activities can pull people out of their homes with high-tech television sets and get them into more social settings.

Mayor Fadness also lauded Linda Carlino, long-time head of the local youth sports organization, who plans to retire later this year after 18 years with the nonprofit organization.   You can listen to a podcast I recorded last April with Linda Carlino at this link. 

For more information on the Fishers Parks and Recreation Foundation use this link.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, outspoken advocate of curtailing illegal drug use, will be the featured speaker at the Hamilton County Republican Fall Dinner later this month.

Hill, formerly a county prosecutor, has opposed aspects of the needle exchange program in Indiana. He says continuing to give drug addicts clean syringes is not the way to cure addiction.

In nine Hoosier counties the state administration has approved the exchange in an effort to halt the spread of the HIV virus. Hill has said mandatory treatment should accompany any repeated disbursing of needles.

Hill, who is from Elkhart, is the state’s first black Republican attorney general. He led his party’s ticket in its 2016 statewide victory.

The annual GOP fall dinner will be held Oct. 26 at the Ritz Charles banquet center in Carmel. Tickets at $50 per person are available from Republican Party headquarters. Usually, several hundred attend the affair where local Republicans, party donors and candidates mingle for dinner and listen to a major speaker.

In other political news, Hamilton County’s new state senator, Victoria Spartz, will be sworn into office at the Statehouse on Oct. 12. She was elected by a party caucus last month to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Luke Kenley who retired effective Sept. 30 after 25 years in office.

Meanwhile, Sue Maki, Carmel, announced her candidacy for a seat on the County Council this week. She will challenge incumbent Fred Glynn in a district that includes most of Clay Township and the southern half of Delaware Township.

A major issue in the primary race next spring is certain to be the proposed County Public Safety Training Center. Funding for the $3 million project was turned down last year by four of the seven council members including Glynn. Maki favors the training center.

The Hamilton Southeastern Education Association, representing teachers in the school district, says it has reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement with the Hamilton Southeastern School Corporation.

Association President Janet Chandler says the agreement is being reduced to writing and should be ready for a ratification vote by the teachers sometime in early November.

If teachers ratify the pact, it goes to the school board for final approval.  Details of the agreement will not be released until the school board ratifies the contract.

No one chose to speak at a public hearing as the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board moved toward enacting the 2018 budget.  The spending plan totals $236.5 million, a 2.31% increase over the previous year.  Chief Financial Officer Mike Reuter told the board there will be a small increase in the tax rate next year.  He estimates a home valued at $100,000 would see a $6 property tax increase next year on the school rate, while a home valued at $250,000 would see a $22 increase in the property tax bill.  Reuter added that property tax caps could impact some homeowners differently, particularly if that home is capped under state law.

In other school board news from the Wednesday evening meeting:

–The board approved refinancing a bond issue to take advantage of lower interest rates, saving the school corporation money.

–The board plans to ask citizens for suggestions on how to name the new elementary school soon to be under construction.

–School administrators plan to ask for suggestions on future school calendars, impacting the start of school date as well as the timing and duration of school breaks during the year.

–6 HSE school administrators will be heading to China this week in an effort to establish sister school arrangements.

–The firm of Miles Herndon has been hired by the board to conduct a branding study for the school corporation and updated the board on their progress.  A final recommendation will be submitted soon.

–A classroom discussion at Hoosier Road Elementary School turned into a gigantic project.  A tractor-trailer was filled with supplies and other critical items after a massive donation drive.  Teachers Bridget Westerfield (first grade), Leslie Fisher (third grade) and Wendi Washburn (fourth grade) along with Assistant Principal Kassy Morales traveled to Houston to meet the truck and help with giving out the donated items.  A group of students and staff representing Hoosier Road Elementary briefed the board on their project.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board has accepted  a $2.1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment as part of the foundation’s Comprehensive Counseling Initiative for Indiana K-12 Students.   The funding will go to expanding students’ learning opportunities outside of the four walls of the classroom. Schools officials say they want to enhance college and career readiness for all students with various learning opportunities, an initiative Hamilton Southeastern Schools is already working on.

Grant money will also go outside the schools to improve counseling practices and access within the Fishers and surrounding communities.

HSE School Superintendent Allen Bourff told school board members the grant writing team of school administrators continued to re-write the grant application several times  right up to the filing deadline.

Lilly Endowment officials were asked by Dr. Bourff why HSE was selected for this grant.

“They said this is an out of the box submission,” Bourff said.  “It’s not like any of the other grants that we received and it was one of the best written, high quality grants that we received.  They said it was an easy approval.”

“The response from school corporations and charter schools far exceeded the Endowment’s expectations,” said Sara B. Cobb, the Endowment’s vice president for education. “We believe that this response indicates a growing awareness that enhanced and expanded counseling programs are urgently needed to address the academic, college, career and social and emotional counseling needs of Indiana’s K-12 students. We were most pleased to see how the schools engaged a wide variety of community stakeholders in assessing their students’ counseling needs and developing strategies to address them.”