Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness is developing a document on the fiscal impact of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and revealed the first draft to the City Council Finance Committee January 10th.  The mayor hired Policy Analytics, a research and analysis firm located in downtown Indianapolis, to crunch the numbers.

Here are a few of the findings contained in that report:

–TIF districts generate $576,000 per year for the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District because property tax increases authorized by referendum are collected within a TIF district.

–Fishers TIF districts impact five-tenths of one per cent (0.5%) of the HSE School District budget annually, because 80%-90% of the HSE annual budget is provided by the state, not local property taxes, as a result of the 2008 property tax reform legislation enacted by the General Assembly.

–TIF districts have generated $47 million in public infrastructure projects, such as sewers, roads, storm water work and public parking garages.

–TIF districts in Fishers have generated 5.200 new jobs within the city.

–TIF districts in Fishers have resulted in $380 million in private sector development.

The report provides numbers on how tax rolls would have been impacted had the development come without the TIF incentives.  For example, HSE Schools would have received $1.1 million annually more if all the development had happened without TIF.

Finance Committee members John Weingardt and Eric Moeller, along with Mayor Fadness, said at the Finance Committee meeting that the development would not have happened without TIF.

Weingardt said he “100% believes” none of this development would have happened in Fishers without the TIF incentive.

Fadness said there was no development like this for 20 years and did not begin to happen until TIF incentives were used.

When the city’s growth years are over, Fadness says a future mayor will have a billion dollars in new assessed valuation of property to cushion the end of massive growth when the TIFs begin to expire.

Tax Increment Financing is a complex system that generally allows property taxes generated by the underlying property to be used for paying off debt to build part or all of the property.

The City Council Finance Committee will present these findings to the full council, possibly in February, for consideration of a resolution.  Fadness plans to present a resolution to the HSE School Board.  Both resolutions are not to agree or disagree with the city’s use of TIFs, Fadness says, but would serve to provide a statement that the numbers presented are correct.

Hamilton County Reporter

Fishers dropped a 45-39 Hoosier Crossroads Conference game to Brownsburg on Saturday at the Tiger Den.

It was a back and forth game, with Fishers leading 10-7 after the first quarter
and the Bulldogs up 21-14 at halftime. The Tigers were within 29-27 after three periods,
but Brownsburg pulled away in the fourth.

Tamia Perryman had a perfect night, making all seven of her field goal attempts
for 14 points. Skylar Fulton drained three 3-pointers, also scoring 14 points. The two
were also the leading rebounders, with Perryman getting six boards and Fulton
collecting five.

Fishers is now 1-4 in the HCC and 10-9 overall. The Tigers are back home on
Tuesday to host Class 4A No. 1 Carmel.

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern took control in the middle quarters to beat Anderson 76-60
in a Saturday home game.

The first period finished in a 13-13 tie, but the Class 4A No. 7 Royals poured in 22
points in the second quarter to take a 35-28 lead at halftime. Southeastern continued its
run in the third period, eventually taking a 54-40 lead.

Five Royals finished in double-figure scoring. Nick Bowman and Aaron Etherington each had 15 points, with Chris Grubbs scoring 13, Noah Smith 10 and Mabor Majak 10. Chaz Birchfield pulled 10 rebounds, with Etherington and Smith both collecting six.

Smith dished out seven assists, while Bowman handed out five. Majak made five
blocked shots and Grubbs had three blocks.

Southeastern is 12-2 for the season and hosts 4A No. 4 Zionsville on Friday.

Adam & I review the film I. Tonya…it tells the story ice skating champion Tonya Harding.  We welcome guests Paul Nethercott and Justin Park, both local documentary film makers.

Gary Oldman has already picked up a best actor award at the Golden Globes…but is the film Darkest Hour Oscar-worthy overall?  Here is my review…

Both the restaurant and craft brewing businesses can be brutally competitive enterprises, and Fishers has seen one craft brewery go as another is right behind it in the same location.

What was once the Heady Hallow, which shuttered its Fishers location in October last year, is now reborn as Mashcraft.  Located at 11069 Allisonville Road, south of 116th Street, the new Mashcraft is set to open at 11am, Saturday, January 13th.

The location will feature beer brewed on site, plus a food menu through a partnership with Chef Joe Hsu and the 5280 Bistro Food Truck.

The brewery and restaurant can seat up to 76 people inside and 30 outside (once weather permits).

Mark Montieth is a Fishers resident and grew up watching the Pacers franchise begin and grown.  Mark became a sports journalist and covers the Pacers.  He has a new book out that provides a history of pro basketball in Indianapolis and the first two years of the Indiana Pacers.

One person is being questioned about a short police chase related to a stolen vehicle report in the early morning hours of Thursday.

A Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy was patrolling in Fishers, near 126th Street and State Road 37.  The deputy saw a vehicle reported stolen.  The driver of the car fled the area when the officer attempted to stop the vehicle.

According to a release from the Sheriff’s Department, there was a short pursuit that ended at Heritage Park, near 106th Street and Eller Road. One person, believed to be  passenger in the vehicle, was taken into custody and interviewed by Fishers Police.

Fishers Police have the car that was reported stolen.

Police are not releasing any more details and have no descriptions of the those in that car that fled the scene.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

It’s clear that with the hiring of Adam Morris as Hamilton Southeastern High School’s new head football coach, both the Royals and Morris got what they wanted.

Southeastern has itself an enthusiastic young man with a track record of success –
both as a football player and a coach. And Morris has a place for he and his family to
grow. Morris was officially hired by the Hamilton Southeastern school board at its
first meeting of the year Wednesday evening.

“I have moved around a bunch prior to this, but it was all with the hope that it would
put me in a position to end up at a place like this,” said Morris. “And I’m here with my
wife and daughter now and we can make that happen.”

Southeastern athletic director Jim Self introduced Morris to the school board at the
Wednesday meeting.

“I was with Adam today as we introduced him to our team, and it was about 10,
12 minutes that he spent with them,” Self told the board. “And I can assure you, we
have found the right person to lead Hamilton Southeastern.”

The feeling was mutual, as Morris said that Southeastern has all the things a coach
is looking for from a competitive standpoint.

“A great administration, great facilities, (Class) 6A, Hoosier Crossroads Conference,”
said Morris. “And it also has the tradition for you to lean on as a new coach
coming in.”

This will be Morris’ second job as a high school head football coach. Morris coached
at Muncie Central during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Morris led the Bearcats to a 6-4
record in his first year, then a 7-4 mark in his second year, including a post-season
win, the first for Muncie Central in 10 years.

“I’ve been very fortunate to be around good people,” said Morris. “I think that’s
what more important, necessarily, than the success that I’ve been a part of or the wins
that I’ve been with at all levels, whether as a player in high school, a player in college
or as an assistant or head coach since I’ve started my coaching career. I’ve been around
really good people.”

This past fall, Morris was an assistant football coach at Noblesville. That served
as his introduction to football in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference. The HCC features
some tradition-laden programs: HSE, Noblesville, Fishers, Avon, Brownsburg,
Westfield, Zionsville, and Franklin Central beginning next season.

“At the high school level, you’re not going to find a league that has better coaches
or better programs,” said Morris. “I think that’s the thing that stands out to me when
you look at this league is, every aspect of every program is top notch, whether it’s the
youth league, the weight room, the Friday night adjustment. Every aspect of building
a program is top notch.”

At age 27, Morris will be one of the younger head football coaches in the area.
In fact, he’s not that far removed from his own playing days, at Ball State University
and at Dublin (Ohio) Scioto High School.

“I definitely think the most important thing that any coach or teacher, educator can
do is have a strong rapport with kids,” said Morris. “So I definitely think that my youth
definitely allows me to do that.”

Morris will begin working at HSE next week. He will teach Physical Education and
Health at the high school. And of course, he met with his new team on Wednesday.

“I’m really excited,” said Morris. “I think they’re anxious, as any high school kid
would be as they’re meeting their new coach. I think I’m just excited. I think they’re
excited just to get started. It’s probably been tough for them to go through the process,
maybe as tough as it’s been for me. I’m sure they’re just anxious to get going.”

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Following the theory that the early bird gets the worm, 24 candidates appeared at the county elections office yesterday to file their candidacies for the May 8 primary election. All are Republicans.

The first to file were Steve Schwartz seeking re-election to the Hamilton County Council, John Chalfin seeking re-election as county coroner and Robin Ward seeking re-election as county assessor.

Filing for office continues until noon on Feb. 9.

Those also filing on the first day included:

• Kathy Richardson for county clerk
• Jennifer Hayden, running for re-election as county recorder
• Bill Clifford, Mitch Russell and Jason Sloderbeck for sheriff
• Sue Maki seeking nomination for County Council, Dist. 1
• Christine Pauley and Rick Sharp running for County Council, Dist. 4
• Matt Snyder seeking re-election on Clay Township Board
• Rick Fain running for Delaware Township Board
• Doug Allman candidate for trustee in Fall Creek Township
• Chad Garrard and Jason Meyer running for township board in Fall Creek
• Robyn Cook for trustee in Jackson Township and Chris Miller, incumbent trustee for re-election in Jackson Township
• Tom Kenley seeking re-election as trustee of Noblesville Township
• Terry Busby candidate for re-election on Noblesville Township Board
• Chad Amos running for Cicero Town Council at large
• Bill Curl and Steve Fisher running for Sheridan Town Council at large
• Doug Allman seeking a State Convention delegate seat from Fall Creek Township, Dist. 3