Submitted
Shanehsaz
Rocky Shanehsaz, a Noblesville resident, local business owner, and ardent supporter of nonprofit organizations, announced Thursday he has formed an exploratory committee to evaluate seeking election to the Noblesville Common Council for either District 5 or an At-Large seat.
Shanehsaz, owner of Mill Top Banquet & Conference Center in downtown Noblesville, says he believes in small government, responsible growth, and protecting residents from wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.
The Republican candidate previously ran for the District 5 seat on the Noblesville Common Council in 2007, and for an At-Large seat on the council in 2019. While both previous bids proved unsuccessful, Shanehsaz garnered nearly 20 percent of the vote in the four-way At-Large race for three open seats.
“The best thing is a small government. True conservatives look at the wealth of our taxpayers’ investment and the impact that it has,” Shanehsaz said. “I’m interested in making sure our tax dollars have the most impact in our community and working more with existing small businesses so they stick around.”
Shanehsaz moved to the United States more than 43 years ago and became a citizen as a teenager. He is best known for converting the historic Model Mill building into what is now the Mill Top Banquet & Conference Center. He also made headlines when he bought and relocated three historically significant homes to preserve them, paving the way for construction of a new Noblesville City Hall in 2005.
With a keen interest to invest in his community, Shanehsaz also helped plant three churches in Noblesville, and he hopes to soon expand Hope and Recovery Centers Inc., a comprehensive, ministry-based drug rehabilitation service to individuals with alcohol and drug addiction. Hope and Recovery Centers Inc. provides foundation funds for medications to individuals with financial difficulties. These funds can be used to obtain proper medication as part of their detox and rehabilitation. Hope and Recovery Centers Inc. has partnered with Miller Care Group for its medical needs and has resources for employment staffing opportunity for these patients. Ministerial services are provided by Chapel Church along with several other local churches.
Shanehsaz has lived in Noblesville since 1990. He is married to Terri Shanehsaz and has two children: Abe, an attorney with Faegre Drinker Law Firm in Indianapolis, and Ava, a Purdue University freshman studying engineering.