The Noblesville Common Council approved the city’s 2023 Civil City budget plan at the Tuesday night meeting. Mayor Chris Jensen’s budget continues to focus on all four of his Policy Pillars and maintains continued focus on government modernization, cost containment, and proactive preservation of taxpayer-owned assets.
Jensen
“Our city is growing and with that growth comes a city budget strategically crafted to meet the needs of the 10th largest community in the state,” Mayor Jensen said. “We are fortunate to have healthy cash reserves, accumulated through many years of growth in assessed valuation and prudent management of public funds for us to be able to invest back into our community.”
The approved budget was crafted during the summer and early fall based on priorities identified by the administration and city departments and feedback and direction given through Council work sessions and Council Finance Committee meetings.
The 2023 budget totals $105 million and includes $9.1 million in one-time spending.
City Controller Jeff Spalding said the 2023 budget proposal is 13.6 percent larger than its $92.5 million adopted 2022 budget due to growth and reinvestment. Spalding added that property tax revenue and local income tax revenue, which makes up a majority of annual income for the city, are both going up.
Spalding
“The certified net assessed value growth was very high for 2023 at 18 percent. This gives the city a great opportunity to invest more into the community. The average growth was 8.4 percent for the four preceding years,” Spalding said. “We continue to have very strong cash balances, and this allows us to budget $9.1 million for strategic reinvestment from the spenddown of previously accumulated reserves. That spenddown funds key one-time investments in capital projects, needed equipment, and future capacity. Excluding this one-time spending, our projected revenues equal expenses.”
Like 2022, the budget continues to spend down a portion of the City’s reserve balances while maintaining a property tax rate of $1.10 per $100 of assessed value, which the city has held flat for four consecutive years.
Wiles
“Noblesville’s 2023 budget is a positive step in funding and addressing infrastructure and local services needs of a growing community,” Council President Megan Wiles said. “After concluding in-depth budget review meetings and considering recommendations and input from department heads and other stakeholders, I am confident that this budget effectively balances emerging needs and economic trends while ensuring that our ongoing operational spending aligns with revenue growth.”
Furthermore, the budget total does not include the over $5 million in state and federal grant funding the city has been awarded for three major trail projects next year – Little Chicago Road Pedestrian Bridge, Nickel Plate Trail, and the Stony Creek Pedestrian Trail – and more than $8 million for road projects like Pleasant Street and State Road 32/River Road roundabout.
Additional features within the 2023 Civil City budget include:
- $50,000 for residential façade grant program in the city’s historic districts.
- $300,000 for Old Town sidewalk repair and enhancement program.
- $356,000 for building and site security improvements.
- Continued infrastructure investments in Innovation Mile.
- Contributions to roundabout projects at State Road 38/Whitcomb Ridge, SR 38/Logan, and 141st Street/Promise Road.
- $400,000 to replace and enhance downtown traffic signals.
- Funding for 19 new full-time city employees, including eight new fire fighters and six police officers to address increased service demands from a growing population.
- Three percent base pay adjustments for employees.
- Vehicle and apparatus replacement for police and fire personnel based on the city’s equipment replacement cycle.