Before we hit February may I still say – Happy New Year!
I have been absent from the Hamilton County Reporter for a few months. It was not due to the elections, holidays, COVID or a lack of engaging content! There are many things happening but because the DLGF (Department of Local Government Finance) is still reviewing the county’s 2023 budget, there are not a great many things the Council can act on. This process generally takes a few months, so we utilize this time to handle many of the ho-hum administrative duties, pay bills and make annual appointments. An update to those volunteer roles can be found on the Hamilton County website – Interested in Appointment Opportunities.
One big change for me at the January Council meeting was my election to serve as Council President. I accept this role with gratitude. As I step into my second term of service, I reflect on the positive things accomplished over the last decade and how we were able to wrap some of those up and move forward. I hope to expand upon that list of accomplishments.
There are two items I would like to enact during my presidency.
The first change is making sure that the Council provides better descriptions of additional appropriations by having a member of Council provide a brief explanation of the project or activity that is requiring the additional appropriation.
The second change is to make this column in the Hamilton County Reporter be a voice of the President going forward. I think it is important that we establish an expectation to leadership to provide big picture thinking about activities underway where the Council is involved and most importantly – keep our constituents informed.
Government should always be looking to improve services and find opportunities to minimize financially impact. The Council has already been able to improve some processes such as the creation of the appointee portal which is slowly becoming the model for other counties and some cities. Another implemented process has been the use of a project prioritization planning document. This in large part has helped the Council work more seamlessly with the Commissioners and allows our body to plan for the different projects or support the departments as they identify grants to offset the cost to taxpayers.
Lastly, I want to share a personal story about why living in Hamilton County is so amazing.
My family had a rough end to 2022 that included nearly 30 days of hospitalization, three major surgeries and multiple blood transfusions. It has been awful but everywhere I go, people have been so kind to offer help to the point that we are having to turn people away. There are many amazing stories that we could all share.
The hyperbolic nature of politics likes to pit one against another, but in my time of need, labels took a back seat and efforts across the aisle were made to assist my family. It makes me hopeful that we can separate the differences and treat each other with compassion. It is that common focus that makes us a community and makes our communities the most successful.
As we look at the next four months that precede our mayoral and municipal elections, keep that in mind and keep the vitriol out of the arguments. Differences of opinion are healthy, and if we all focus on community, we all win.
As with every meeting, you can watch recordings or live stream meetings from our YouTube channel.
If items mentioned above are of interest, please reach out to me or any member of the County Council. As always, I am thankful that the Hamilton County Reporter for publishing my Council updates and a special thanks to you, the readers and residents of Hamilton County, for reading it and being engaged in the discussion. Our county is better because of you all. I welcome your questions at ken.alexander@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.
Ken Alexander is serving in his first term on the Hamilton County Council, representing District 4, which includes Adams and Washington townships, and part of Clay Township. He currently serves as the President of the County Council.