Dear Editor:
I have five core principles to my City Council campaign:
- Keeping Carmel’s taxes low
Carmel has the 11th lowest property taxes in the State of Indiana. It’s something we should be proud of, and as your city councilor, I will make sure they stay low for years to come.
- Ensuring public safety
My first job out of college was as a police/fire reporter for a daily newspaper and that gave me an appreciation for the role first responders play at an early age. My father-in-law is a retired firefighter as well. I vow to give our police and firefighters the tools they need to keep us safe.
- Making sure our roads are in excellent condition
We are fortunate in Carmel that snow is plowed in a timely manner and it’s very rare to see a pothole. I will continue to prioritize street resurfacing in the city budget, especially in our residential neighborhoods.
- Supporting small business
I’m a small business owner myself, and I talk about this a lot because I’m really passionate about this issue. Not only do small businesses give us character and attract people to our community, but supporting small businesses is actually the fiscally conservative thing to do. More of their tax dollars stay right here in the community.
- Looking to the future by being innovative
A city that isn’t changing is a city that’s stagnant. I don’t mean we are going to tear down our history or change who we are. But Carmel needs to continue to adapt and be innovative to attract new businesses to our community. We need to keep coming up with new ideas while also staying true to what made us great in the first place, which I believe is low taxes, great schools, safe streets and amazing parks.
Adam Aasen
Carmel