Hamilton County is poised to become the demographic all-star of the decade. Its 269,785 residents make up the fastest-growing,
most educated and wealthiest county in the state, according to estimates from the Indiana Business Research Center.
Brenda Myers, executive director of the Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, rounds out the appointments to a restructured
Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board.
I have always found Morton Marcus’ columns both entertaining and informative. I read the Dec. 7 column, in which
Marcus seems to insinuate that property taxes were acceptable as they were and do not require modifications. As a resident
of Marion County, I could not disagree more.
A federal tax credit that benefits first-time homebuyers is helping to bring home sales in the nine-county Indianapolis area
out of their funk.
A state legislator faces a lawsuit over her role in hiring a company that provides software for property-tax calculations in central Indiana’s Clinton County. Rep. Jacque Clements has denied any wrongdoing in her work for the county. She was county auditor before her election to the Legislature last year and was a part-time deputy auditor […]
I have bad news for Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts and Indianapolis Indians ticket buyers. By the time you buy tickets for next season’s games, you’ll likely be hit with a higher ticket tax….
Property tax abatements granted by the city of Indianapolis last year should help create more jobs than in each of the previous three years. Numbers released by the city for 2008 show companies receiving abatements committed to 2,423 new jobs. Among the projects: – AIT Laboratories plans to create more than 130 jobs in the […]
Several major issues with business implications are expected to receive ample attention when legislators convene next month,
particularly the continuing saga of property-tax relief and the state’s ability to pay jobless benefits.
HAMILTON COUNTY Carmel adopts budget of $89 million for services The city of Carmel has passed an $89 million budget for 2009. At its Oct. 6 meeting, the Carmel Common Council adopted the budget, which is based on a property tax rate that’s lower than the rate Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard, a Republican, inherited when […]
Marion County economic development officials are proud of their latest headquarters attraction. Bowen Engineering Corp.
will inject 103 high-paying jobs into the Indianapolis economy immediately. And over time, the company expects
to add another 138. Their average salaries will top $70,000. The deal didn’t require Mayor Greg Ballard
to travel to Japan, or even to another state. Bowen Engineering is moving all of 8.4 miles, from its former
home in Fishers to the 8800 block of North Meridian Street.
HAMILTON COUNTY Hamilton County tops magazine rankings Hamilton County residents already know all about their affordable property taxes, low crime and strong schools. But they got outside confirmation from two national magazines during the last month. In a June 30 story titled, “America’s Best Places to Raise a Family,” Forbes ranked Hamilton County first in […]
Cynthia Cyphon called me for “insights” on the latest county statistics released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. “So what’s doing with these numbers?” she asked. “I see Hamilton County, the state’s wealthiest county, is not anymore.” I went out on the deck with my lapdog and my laptop. This was going to be a long phone conversation. “Cynthia, get your head around this,” I said. “Per-capita personal income is used widely as an indicator of economic wellbeing. That’s why…
Many Indiana school districts say they have no choice but to brace for cutbacks in areas like school repairs, computers and
transportation thanks to the property tax reform measure approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gov.Mitch Daniels.
Back when they arrived in 1996, there were lots of open spaces and taxes were low, Jones said. “Overall, it was a good place to live,” he said. Jones said he still loves living in Westfield, which is 20 miles north of Indianapolis. But he admits things are changing, which is a double-edged sword. Eight years ago, according to the U.S. census, Westfield had just 9,300 people. Now, it’s a rapidly growing city with a population of 24,000, an increase…
Here’s a political hot potato that so far has received little discussion in the rancorous debate over property-tax reform:
Should the enormous costs of helping impoverished Hoosiers continue to be funded county by county, or spread to taxpayers
statewide?
As legislators prepare to overhaul the state’s property-tax system, Marion County’s future hangs in the balance. Indianapolis
residents–particularly in the city’s older, urban core–already pay far higher taxes than their suburban counterparts. And
arguably get less bang for their buck. Changes on the table could make Marion County an even tougher sell.
Take a look at some of the most complicated, heated and thankless Statehouse negotiations and chances are you’ll find Republican Sen. Luke Kenley smack in the middle of the fray. While some Hoosiers are hard-pressed to attend a school board meeting or even try to understand their property-tax bills, the 62-year-old chairman of the Senate Tax & Fiscal Policy Committee sits through hours of public hearings and even more hours of closed-door negotiations. This General Assembly promises to be one…
So much is going on in the Indiana General Assembly that it makes my head spin, which makes me dizzy and unfit for driving safely on the roads. That, plus the recent heavy snows, has made me a hermit. To re-enter society, I called Dr. Werner von Fizzle, the only psychologist I know who provides at-home consultations. As he sat down, Dr. von F asked, “Do you have some tonic vater?” I nodded and rose to fill his request. “And,”…
The unincorporated Boone County town of Fayette received unanimous approval from county commissioners Monday night to officially become a town. Because Fayette is within two miles of Marion County, final approval of the incorporation awaits a vote by the Marion County’s City-County Council. City-County Council members were not immediately available to discuss a timetable for […]
A government panel is echoing the concerns of the Hoosier Environmental Council that Centre Properties’ proposed RiverPlace development along White River at 96th Street could worsen the effects of a flood. The Hamilton County Drainage Board doesn’t carry the weight of the U.S. Geological Survey, but its opinion could influence the giant, mixed-use project’s chances of winning a rezoning case. A letter the drainage board sent recently to the Fishers planning commission comes just before the Fishers Town Council considers…
