Hamilton County Councilman Mark Hall’s September Timesheet

Welcome to the Timesheet. This column is a report of work done on behalf of the people of Hamilton County. It’s to be informative, too – a place to learn about projects and how our county government works.

As your employee, it’s important to me that you know what is being worked on as transparently as possible in government. You hired me as your County Councilman, and my hope is that you’ll choose to be informed by regularly reading this column, getting involved, and by asking questions. Council meetings are at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month at the Judicial Center in downtown Noblesville. Meetings are also available to watch online for those unable to attend in person.

Here is where my time this past month has been spent.

In addition to the County Council public meetings, September work included: 2025 budget hearings, a quarterly county employee insurance meeting, a Board of Commissioners public meeting, a council special work session, a Noblesville High School Internship meeting, a Cicero Town Council meeting, two Noblesville City Council meetings, and two Central Indiana Water Planning meetings.

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September is the 2025 budget approval month. It is when the council hears each department’s budget requests. These are two exceptionally long days where we review every request for planned personnel changes, capital expenses, and operating costs. This work is where the rubber meets the road in county government. It can be daunting if you let it, but breaking down line items within department budgets makes it an easier task.

The total Hamilton County budget for 2025 is slightly over $309,000,000. The total includes departments that have their own tax rates like Parks and Solid Waste. Along with several other items, this figure also includes the county general fund, and the major bridge fund. Personally, breaking things down to their smallest components better allows me to evaluate if the budget request is an actual need or if it’s a want.

Final approvals of all the submitted budgets happen in October, but the preparation takes place during August and the council analysis, assessment, and budget modifications happen in early September. The resulting budget submission had almost $10,000,000 in cuts from requested department budgets. I’m pleased to say that we have submitted a budget that continues to contribute to our rainy-day fund, too.

The single biggest cost increase is in personnel. Keeping up with the costs of living and remaining competitive as an employer is not easy or inexpensive. Finding the right balance between keeping employees, attracting new employees, and the stewardship of our tax dollars is not simple! Frankly, I made one decent-sized mistake along the way, but thankfully collaborating with many talented people, we worked through the issue to arrive at a solution.

Speaking of which, major hat tips to the Auditor’s, Sheriff’s, and Human Resources departments. We evaluated four iterations of compensation for the public safety department.

This work was not easy. It was tedious, time-consuming, and occasionally mildly contentious. My report is that no one got exactly what they wanted. Experience taught me that a result like that is a good one.

One of the big takeaways is that some things done in business just do not work in government. I’m learning to be more patient in listening to key details and I’ve learned to be much more specific in giving budgetary direction.

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We did not have a personnel committee meeting during September. Personnel requests are voted on as they occur – first in the personnel committee and then at the next regular council meeting using a recommendation from the committee. The finance committee didn’t meet in September but used the data and projections we reviewed Aug. 27 for the 2025 budget request review meetings Sept. 3 and 4.

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This month there were 11 constituent services requests. Generally, requests require research with a county department, securing the correct answer, and then following up with the taxpayer.

Many September requests were regarding undocumented immigrants being introduced into Hamilton County. My research, in speaking with public safety and city officials, has not and cannot confirm large numbers of undocumented immigrants being dropped here. One official was adamant that this alleged influx of undocumented immigrants was merely a rumor and had no basis in facts. There is evidence at the end of July, of an out-of-state NGO working with a local NGO to resettle immigrants here in the area. However, these numbers were very modest and nowhere near the numbers represented in the questions that I received.

Other requests were regarding local road repair, asking for a new roundabout at the intersection of 206^th Street and Hague Road, and lastly asking about the county affordable housing project in Adams Township. The two Noblesville road questions were referred to Noblesville Mayor Jensen and resolved with communication from city officials. I answered the constituent’s questions directly on the purchase price, ownership, and intended use of the 60-plus acre planned affordable housing project. Also, I invited the taxpayer to attend the public meeting held by the Commissioners on Sept. 19.

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This month, it was an honor to represent you at the Red Bridge Park Labor Day Car Show, in meetings with the Noblesville High School Internship Directors, the Indiana Family Institute Fall Dinner, the Sheridan/Adams Township Reorganization Conversation, the Parkinson’s Moving Day Conner Prairie Fundraiser, the CHAMP CAMP Silver Sneakers Ball, the Noblesville Party on Pleasant Street celebration, the Noblesville State of the City address, Jerry Cook’s Sagamore of the Wabash award ceremony, and at Spaghetti Cicero, a fundraiser for public safety departments in Cicero.

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Of special interest this month were two meetings regarding the water supply and water usage in central Indiana. The Indiana Finance Authority is taking the lead on this initiative.

The initial conversation was with a consulting team contracted with the state to assess needs and help create a water plan that will accommodate growth in Hamilton County for the next 50 years. Frankly, I was put off by the elitist commentary of one consultant. The second time that he quipped “why would any business need to water or for that matter even have a lawn,” I had to step in and explain to him that life in Indiana isn’t what he is used to in Nevada, California, and Colorado. I understand that he was pushing the importance of conserving our water resources and I agree that conservation is one of many tools available to safeguard our future water supply. But, telling independent-thinking Hoosiers what they can and can’t do is a failed strategy. I told him so and didn’t mince words. His awkward silence was proof that he got the point.

The second meeting was in-person and consisted of approximately 40 people representing various central Indiana city water utilities, wastewater treatment plants, Representative Spartz’s office, Citizens Energy, County Utility Consultants, the Indiana Finance Authority, and Hamilton County. The meeting was used to define the various water needs of the group and what future water success should look like. The primary takeaways were that water in Indiana is precious and becoming more so as time goes by. Secondly, we must plan for additional water discovery, proper usage, and conservation to avoid future water problems.

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This is my timesheet. This is where my time went during September 2024. This was an especially busy month that included 2025 budget meetings. My job is primarily the financial oversight of the county budget. It is important that I understand the Board of Commissioners’ priorities and balance them with the stewardship of taxpayer dollars. That is the job, and I am excited to do the people’s business.

As a taxpayer myself, and listening to so many of you, our employers, it’s important for the taxpayers to have access to all the information you want. I work for you and, although you may not choose to do a deep dive into what your County Council does, it’s important that you can always do so.

Feel free to contact me at (317) 832-1104 or mark.hall@hamiltoncounty.in.gov with questions, feedback, or if you would like to talk about county business.