Welcome to the Timesheet. This column is a report of work done on behalf of the people of Hamilton County. It’s to be informative, too – a place to learn about projects and how our county government works.
As your employee, it’s important to me that you know what is being worked on as transparently as possible in government. You hired me as your County Councilman, and my hope is that you’ll choose to be informed by regularly reading this column, getting involved, and by asking questions. Council meetings are at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month at the Judicial Center in downtown Noblesville. Meetings are also available to watch online for those unable to attend in person.
Here is where my time this past month has been spent.
In addition to County Council public, finance committee, and personnel committee meetings, August work included, a public safety 2025 compensation meeting, a Board of Commissioners public meeting, a Carmel City Council meeting, a Cicero Town Council meeting, a Noblesville City Council meeting, a 911 Communications department budget presentation, a budget preparation meeting with Emergency Management Services, and a meeting with Noblesville City Councilor Aaron Smith.
August is our 2025 budget preparation month. Personally, for me to be adequately prepared for budget meetings requires multiple readings of the budget book. Hat tip to the Auditor’s department for compiling all this data for the council to review. With nearly 30 departments, a thorough review of each department’s submitted narrative and budget financials took many hours and lots of coffee.
* * *
August’s personnel committee meeting included a Parks Department personnel reclassification approval and a continuation of lengthy examination and discussions regarding 2025 compensation for the Sheriff’s Command Staff, Deputies, and Corrections Officers. Personnel requests are voted on as they occur: first, in the personnel committee and then at the next regular council meeting using a recommendation from the committee.
August’s work included my analysis of the County’s public safety compensation in preparation for September budget meetings. This work has been exhaustive and exhausting. Leadership identified several compensation anomalies that resulted in salary parity issues within the department. We needed a solution that allowed the Sheriff to correct these issues.
In addition, the consulting firm engaged by the county proposed adjusting compensation well beyond what, in my assessment, was both affordable to the budget and reasonable to taxpayers. The pressure to match a competing agency’s 2025 compensation was a pressure point. The tension of big increases in the cost of living was another pressure point. The expected 2025 budgeted revenue and expenses was a third pressure point. Correcting pay issues was a fourth pressure point. The unknown but anticipated changes to local government funding was a fifth pressure point.
Balancing affordability, the increased costs of living, competitive agency plans, and the stewardship of taxpayer dollars played out in real time. I spent nearly 20 hours of investigation, assessment, and analysis of compensation plan options to arrive at what ultimately was approved in personnel as the recommended 2025 public safety compensation budget. Two of my fellow County Councilors and Commissioner Dillinger invested time into addressing this challenge, too. The County’s HR department invested many hours to prepare and review plan options. The Auditor’s and Sherriff’s departments created and recreated four different budget scenarios. In short, compensation is the largest reoccurring expense to county taxpayers. We don’t take public safety lightly and we take care of the folks who take care of us. This was a hard, complex challenge. I am happy with the result.
* * *
August’s Finance Committee meeting included a budget presentation on the expected 2025 revenue and expenses from the county financial consultant. The meeting included a spirited discussion regarding expected property tax and local income tax reform coming from the statehouse next year. I expect to see reform bills originating from the Governor, Senate, and House.
The county budget book for 2025. (Photo provided by Mark Hall)
Presently, the County Council sets the tax rate with the oversight and ultimate approval of the Indiana Department of Local Government and Finance. Reconciling and compromising into a law that provides property tax relief and adequately funds local government will be tricky.
Regarding Hamilton County budgeting, my approach is to hold the line on spending as much as possible, save money in the rainy-day fund and watch closely to see what new law gets passed and understand its fiscal impact on county revenues. I don’t want to be surprised by big changes, rather, let’s prepare for them. Changing local government funding is a very big deal and worth speaking with our state legislators about.
* * *
This month there was one taxpayer request. Generally, requests require research with a county department, securing the correct answer, and then following up with the taxpayer.
August’s request was from a constituent in Atlanta asking about annexation into Cicero. After our conversation, it was not a county issue. Rather, the letter that they received along with a subsequent meeting was regarding reorganization within Jackson Township, Cicero, Arcadia, and Atlanta. Like the folks in Adams Township and the Town of Sheridan, discussions continue amongst residents and elected officials in the four Jackson Township jurisdictions about reorganizing into a new public entity.
* * *
This month, it was an honor to represent you at the Hamilton County Sports Authority Colts Training Camp, at the Connor Prairie Golf Fundraiser, at the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce Women in Noblesville awards dinner, and at a tour of a county-supported affordable housing initiative, Cumberland Cottages in Fishers.
* * *
Of special interest this month was a half-day tour of the Marion County Community Justice Campus with several judges, Commissioner Heirbrandt, the chief deputy prosecutor, and county Information Services team members. We spent an afternoon learning about best practices, state-of-the-art court technologies, and lessons they learned on what not to do, all in anticipation of the expansion of our Hamilton County Judicial Center. Their project was almost a billion-dollar investment, and we took away many lessons to apply on our project. The expansion of our county government building will be one of the most expensive projects in Hamilton County history. That said, with court caseloads exploding and an anticipated population beyond 500,000 by 2050, we must catch up with current demand and get prepared for future increased demands in civil and criminal court cases.
* * *
This is my timesheet. This is where my time went during August 2024. This was an especially busy month headed into 2025 budget review. My job is primarily the financial oversight of the county budget. It is important to understand the Board of Commissioners’ priorities and balance them with the stewardship of taxpayer dollars. That is the job, and I am excited to do the people’s business.
As a taxpayer myself, and listening to so many of you, our employers, it’s important for the taxpayers to have access to all the information you want. I work for you and although you may not choose to do a deep dive into what your County Council does, it’s important that you can always do so.
Feel free to contact me at (317) 832-1104 or mark.hall@hamiltoncounty.in.gov with questions, feedback, or if you would like to talk about county business.