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Dear Editor:
I have been outspoken against our career politicians’ habit of doling out tax abatements and other incentives to well-established and profitable companies that seek to build on desirable land. This practice forfeits your tax dollars for small amounts of growth that these companies could arguably achieve on their own without corporate welfare.
I spoke out because as a citizen of this city I see how my friends and neighbors are struggling a little more with the passing of each new “fee,” school board imposed referendum, utility increase and so on. As a citizen I travel down the rough roads and through the neighborhoods that need care and attention. I walk the sidewalks that are uneven, shop in the stores next to buildings that sit empty. As a citizen I’ve done what I can to get as much information as possible to learn about what’s going on and time and time again I’m faced with the reality that it’s exceedingly difficult to know what my elected representatives are up to in this town.
So I spoke out. I told you, the people, about what I was seeing. I told you about what many others in the business community were telling me. I want you to know what’s going on in our city. Something happens when you speak against power though; power mobilizes to twist things. Power tries to reframe the conversation into something it’s not, both to convince you that there’s not really a problem and to frame the people speaking out as uninformed or anti-progress.
I’d like to make two things clear. First, I am a business owner. I have been for more than 10 years now and before that I worked in management for corporations large and small. I know how business works and I don’t fault the leaders of any company for utilizing every tool available to increase profits and grow their companies. Secondly I’m not anti-development, I’m not even anti-incentives. Cities have tools available to attract new business and grow existing ones and we should use those tools.
What I am against is using those economic development tools unwisely. I am against handing out millions of your tax dollars to companies that donate to the career politicians that control our city while more deserving companies that would be better for our city and would do more to help ease your tax burden go and settle somewhere else because they can’t get the help they actually need.
Noblesville will continue to grow. Fields will be developed, people will continue to arrive, and roads will get busier. The only question is who will manage the growth and how. I’ve made my living in corporate America. I have an MBA and own my own company. I understand the benefits that businesses bring to a city.
Under my administration we will finally fill out the corporate campus that has underperformed for years. We will attract companies to ease the tax burden on our citizens. Under my administration we will execute growth wisely and with a clear plan and vision for the future. We will not favor a select few. The best developers and the best projects that do the most good for Noblesville, not the political establishment, will get the approvals. They will get the assistance they need to build and thrive.
As for you, the citizens, you will know what’s going on. If you want information, it won’t be as difficult for you to get as it has been for me.
We will grow this city and we will attract great new businesses and amenities. But we will not do it at the expense of the taxpayer and we will not turn away deserving businesses that desire to build and grow here.
Mike Corbett
Noblesville mayoral candidate