By AARON SMITH
Guest Columnist
Seven years ago, I started a business with offices on the Square in Noblesville and have seen first-hand how crucial small businesses are to the economy. The entrepreneurs who run them generate nearly two-thirds of all jobs and employ half of the country’s private sector. Yet, when you look at our public institutions, there aren’t enough leaders bringing entrepreneurial chops to the table.
Thankfully, Noblesville is different.
In my role on our city council, my first priority is to strategically save taxpayer dollars. Working with the mayor, we target to hold back 15 percent of the city’s annual revenue for cash reserves. This rainy day fund is far above the state’s recommendation of 12 percent and provides a critical buffer against economic downturns. It’s the bedrock of prudent budgeting and something every business owner knows intuitively.
Once healthy savings are established, we set our sights on bold projects that will provide long-term benefit to Noblesville residents and business owners. In my time on council, that effort has been prioritized by putting shovels in the ground to extend Pleasant Street, attracting the jobs of the future with partners like Bastian Solutions, and giving the men and women of our police and fire departments a well-deserved raise. All of this, of course, happened without increasing our tax rate.
The private sector plays an important role here, too. When I negotiated Pulte’s new 600-acre development on the east side of Noblesville last year, I shared my foundational expectation that they build a first-class neighborhood and provide tangible benefits for current Noblesville residents. Not only did they agree to fund the city’s share of a new roundabout at 166th Street and Boden Road, they also took on the responsibility to rehabilitate and expand the streets bordering their development – 156th, 166th, Boden, and Olio. It’s a win for current and future Noblesville residents alike.
In the year ahead, Noblesville is going to see more investment coming our way. We’re partnering with INDOT to rehabilitate parts of State Road 32 in the heart of our downtown. Our friends at Hamilton County will continue to make progress on 146th and Allisonville and we, at the City of Noblesville, will build a trail connecting Forest Park to Federal Hill. These are just a few of the projects we’re tackling that have been in the planning stages for years.
The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in both Noblesville’s private and public sectors. We’ll continue to weave innovative small business priorities into our work in city hall so we can ensure that Noblesville’s next chapter will be our best yet. I’m proud to be part of that.
Aaron Smith lives in Old Town and represents District 3 on the Noblesville Common Council. You can read and subscribe to his monthly newsletter at noblesville.substack.com.