Scott Willis wins GOP mayoral primary in Westfield

Scott Willis, a first-term member of the Westfield City Council, won the city’s Republican mayoral primary election Tuesday night and pledged to “build upon our community’s roots to create a world-class city where you can live, work, and play.”

Willis defeated City Councilor Jake Gilbert and Kristen Burkman, a member of the Westfield Advisory Plan Commission. With all precincts reporting, Willis had 45.2% of the vote to 42.1% for Jake Gilbert and 12.8% for Kristen Burkman.

No Democrats have filed to run for mayor, but that could change after the primary. If not, Willis could take office as mayor on Jan. 1.

“I am excited about what Westfield can become,” Willis said in a statement late Tuesday. “A vibrant downtown where family and friends gather for fun with Park Street as the centerpiece for shopping and dining. A mixed-use village around Grand Park with a trolley shuttling families from the fields to the stores. And connectivity with our trails to create more walkability.”

Republican Andy Cook, Westfield’s first and only mayor and the leader who spearheaded development of Grand Park Sports Campus, announced in February that he would not seek a fifth term.

The Hamilton County community had just more than 21,000 residents when Cook was sworn in as mayor in 2008, the year Westfield moved from a town to a city. Today, its population tops 50,000.

Willis, a resident of the city for 20 years, is vice president of executive recruiting firm Theoris Search and previously ran Arnett Management Solutions Inc., an executive search firm he founded in 2006. The Purdue University graduate was a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps for 30 years before retiring in March 2022.

Willis told IBJ in March that as mayor, his priorities would include investing in and attracting new commercial development to Westfield, managing the city’s growth and improving the city’s public safety structure. He would also focus on three areas of economic development: light industrial space, Grand Park and downtown Westfield.

He said Tuesday night that to accomplish his goals, “we need to diversify our tax base to keep taxes low.”

Willis told IBJ previously that he will also seek to update the city’s comprehensive plan. He said, for example, that the city has approved enough subdivisions to house as many as 70,000 people but isn’t ready to provide all the services needed to accommodate those people.

Willis said the next steps for Grand Park are to add championship-caliber baseball and soccer fields that could draw NCAA events to Westfield.