Only a handful of people were on hand, but the conversation was lively as Hamilton Southeastern School officials made their case and answered questions about the May 3rd tax referendum.  The ballot measure is asking for 12.75 cents more per $100 of assessed property tax valuations beginning in 2017.

The event was held Wednesday evening at the Delaware Township Community Building.

One lady questioned why the school system was pushing staff raises when she has no children in the school system any longer and had no increase in her Social Security benefits this year.  Administrators said school staff have forgone raises for years, with many years of no pay raises at all, and the referendum is an effort to catch up and be more competitive with neighboring school corporations in attracting and retaining staff members.

Another person in attendance said he supports the referendum, but is involved in marching band parent organizations in the HSE Schools and is getting “roughed up” about the referendum by some band parents.  HSE School CFO Mike Reuter pointed out that there has been a considerable investment in band facilities in recent years.

There will be another opportunity for the public to ask questions about the school referendum on Tuesday, April 26th, also at the Delaware Township community building.

Jeff Hern’s campaign manager Debbie Driskell sent an e-mail Wednesday afternoon to his supporters saying the Hamilton County Council candidate is in a “tough situation” and will not comment on an ongoing investigation into allegations of campaign sign theft.

According to Driskell, Hern “respects the decision of the prosecutor’s office to look into this matter and will continue to cooperate fully.”  Driskell’s message goes on to say that Hern will not be commenting on the matter personally at this time “due to the ongoing nature of the inquiry.”

An opposing candidate for an at-large council seat, Rick McKinney, reported to sheriff’s authorities that a cell phone belonging to Fall Creek Township Trustee Hern was found near the site of a location in Fishers where McKinney says his campaign signs were taken. Hern has been interviewed by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department about the incident and the prosecutor’s office is reportedly reviewing the matter.

Hern and McKinney are 2 of 5 candidates in the council race.  The three candidates receiving the most votes in the May 3rd Republican primary election will appear on the general election ballot in November.  No Democrats have filed to run for the council seats.

The Nickel Plate District in downtown Fishers now has its lineup of musical acts in place for the 2016 summer season.  Here’s the list, from the City of Fishers:

Tuesday Night Concert

Jun. 7 – My Yellow Rickshaw

Jun. 14 – The Innocent Band

Jun. 21 – The Bishops

Jun. 28 – DUDE!

Jul. 5 – Endless Summer Band

Jul. 12 – Parrots of the Caribbean Jul. 19 – Dave and Rae

AMP After Dark Fridays 9 – 11 p.m.

Jun. 3 – Woomblies Rock Orchestra

Jun. 10 – Bad Brad and the Slipsey Slims

Jun. 17 – Sounds of Summer: Beach Boys Tribute

Jul. 8 – Souled Out

Jul. 15 – Jennie DeVoe

Jul. 22 – Dogs of Society: A tribute to the music of Elton John

Jul. 29 – Rodney Stepp and Steppin Out

Aug. 5 – Torn Aug. 12 – The Reno Connection

Aug. 19 – Carrie Newcomer Aug. 26 – Jon Banard

Specialty Shows 

May 14 – 80’s at the AMP from 6 to 10 p.m.

Jun. 4 – Jamestown Revival – 7:30 p.m.

Jul. 9 – The Wild Feathers – 7:30 p.m.

Larry talked with Sam Elliott, the editor for the local weekly print publication Current in Fishers.

The many coffee drinkers looking forward to a new Starbucks at 116th and Olio Road will have to wait a little longer.  The Fishers City Council delayed a final decision because a traffic signal would likely to required along 116th Street with the Starbucks added to that area south and west of the intersection, near the Walgreen Drug Store.

There was a lot of discussion among the developer, members of the council and Mayor Scott Fadness.  Council members expressed concern about how to pay for the traffic signal.  The developer says he cannot foot the entire bill for the signal.  Also, Kroger has committed to paying for a signal on either Olio Road or 116th Street as part of their expansion project.  Olio is a county road and 116th is within the city’s jurisdiction.

City officials will continue to work with the developer to find a solution to the added traffic a Starbucks would create in that commercial area.  Council members approved 2nd reading for the proposal…the text amendment is not final until approved at 3rd reading.

In another issue of commercial development….

City officials told the council Top Golf will not  be located near 126th Street and Cumberland Road, behind Fresh Market, as originally planned.  The development will now be located along I-69, just north of 116th Street.  You can see a map of the location at this link.  For more background on TopGolf, use this link.  The fee waiver offer from the city of roughly $666,000 remains in place.  Fishers Economic Development Director Brandon Dickinson says the amendment to the impact fee agreement approved by the council will allow the project to move forward.

In one other item from the April 18th session, council members took the first step to increase the park impact fee for single family homes newly constructed from $1,070 per property to $1,667.  This would be the first park impact fee increase in Fishers in the past 10 years.  If all goes as planned, the new impact fee would likely take effect in 2017.

Overnight travel along I-69 in the Fishers area will be a little more difficult in coming days.  The reason?  the construction leading to a new interchange at 106th Street.

See the details below in a news release from the Indiana Department of Transportation.

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I’ve been observing local elections in Indiana (off & on)  for about 45 years.  In almost every local election I’ve watched, there are allegations of one side stealing the other side’s campaign signs.

In this year’s Hamilton County Council Republican primary election, incumbent Councilman Rick McKinney is running for reelection, and has leveled some serious sign theft charges that resulted in the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department opening an investigation.

McKinney says he had signs missing in the area of Cumberland Road and 116th Street in Fishers.  The Sheriff’s Department says the cell phone of a county council candidate, Jeff Hern, was found near the area of where the signs were located. According the the Sheriff’s office, Hern, currently the Fall Creek Township Trustee, has been interviewed about the incident.

No charges have been filed.

Hern is out of town and not available for comment.

There are three at-large county council seats up for grabs in the May 3rd primary. McKinney and Brad Beaver are incumbents.  Hern, George Kehl and Bill Dennis are also candidates.  The top 3 vote-getters among the 5 hopefuls will end up on the November general election ballot.  No Democrats filed for county council seats.

The May 3rd primary election is coming, and the political action committee urging a yes vote on the HSE school referendum, Advance HSE, is reminding local voters of two important events coming up.

School officials will be on hand to explain the referendum, requesting a property tax increase from local voters.  Two public information sessions are set to happen soon.

The first is Wednesday, April 20th, 6pm, at the Delaware Township Community Room on 131st Street.  The second event is scheduled on Tuesday, April 26th, at the same time and location.

It’s an opportunity for you to learn more about the referendum and to ask questions.

You can listen to a Podcast I recorded March 16th with Sneha Shah, Chairperson of the Advance HSE PAC, at this link.

HSE School Superintendent Allen Bourff also discussed the referendum, along with a number of other issues, in a Podcast recorded April 5th.  You can hear that Podcast at this link.

Reporter Chris Sikich of the Indianapolis Star has taken a deep look into the divisions with the Hamilton County Republican Party.  He summarizes some facts already known and gets some interesting quotes from local politicos on the state of the GOP in what may be the most Republican county in Indiana.

You can read the story at this link. (NOTE: If you are not a Star subscriber, you may be limited on the number of stories you may access each month)

Baron Hill is a busy man, traveling the state of Indiana, preparing to face the winner of the Todd Young vs. Marlin Stutzman Republican primary, in the November General election.  Hill had spoken in Clay County just before his appearance at the Hamilton County Jefferson Jackson Day Democrat Party Dinner event Saturday night.

He had a basic message to present to Hoosier voters in 2016 – remember the economy Barack Obama inherited when he assumed the presidency in 2009.

In 2009, as Baron Hill came into his congressional seat, economists were telling elected officials in Washington “if Congress does not act, we’re looking at 1932 all over again.”

Once Obama took the oath of office and the new congress began in January 2009, Hill said Democrats began to act.  He listed the following accomplishments:

–A $1 trillion stimulus package.  “It got people back to work,” said Hill

–The saving of the automobile industry.  “What would have happened to Hoosiers here in Indiana had we not saved the automobile industry?” according to Hill.

–Congress passed cash for clunkers program, aimed at getting older, less fuel efficient vehicles off the road.

–Congress also enacted a tax credit for new home buyers.

Hill cited those actions as the reason the nation economically “stopped the bleeding and got this country back on its feet again.”

Hill took a shot at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s slogan he will “make America great again.”

Hill countered, “I’m here to tell you, America is great.”  Hill called Trump’s statements about women, minorities and the disabled “disgraceful.”

There were a number of other Democrat candidates on hand for the dinner.  Angela Demaree is running in the 5th U.S. House District, the seat currently held by Republican Susan Brooks, and spoke before the group.  There were surrogates speaking on behalf of Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, who will both be on the primary ballot in the May 3rd Indiana primary election.