By AARON SMITH
Noblesville Common Council candidate
There’s no question that many people in Indiana, myself included, identify as fiscally conservative. On the campaign trail, I’ve been asked how I view (and would practice) the term that seems to have become all-too politically convenient to use. This is an important question all local leaders should answer.
To me, it’s simple. Especially in the context of local government, to be fiscally conservative means to prioritize goals.
This past summer my wife and I renovated part of our house. It’s a beautiful home on 9th Street built in the 1940s. It was well-loved prior to us and has a good core, but there are projects we need to accomplish to ensure it will last another 80 years. I’d love to tackle all of these projects at one time, but with a limited revenue stream, we have to complete projects in pieces as we have the money to do so.
I view the policy priorities I’ve laid out for Noblesville the same way. I’m really passionate about ensuring that we’re protecting the historic nature of our city, promoting the characteristics that make us unique and planning for the future. There are items on the punch list that can be enacted relatively easily and other items that may take longer to process through. It’s incumbent on our elected leaders to know which projects should take priority over others with feedback from stakeholders in the community.
We’re blessed in Noblesville that we are growing at a healthy rate which makes some of these projects more feasible. In fact, in the past eight years Noblesville has seen a nearly 19 percent increase in population growth. From my perspective, we’ve maintained this rate of growth by ensuring that quality of life is high, housing is affordable and there is opportunity for upward mobility for the generation following us. These are all areas that should remain a focus going forward and by prioritizing our goals, we can ensure that Noblesville’s best days are to come.
Aaron Smith is a candidate for the Noblesville Common Council and a business owner in Noblesville. Learn more about his campaign by visiting his website and following him on Facebook and Twitter.