March 27, 2019 Dear Editor: The following is a response from Carmel resident Mike Shaver to the members of the Carmel City Council, including Council President Jeff Worrell. Dear Mr. Worrell & Members of the Carmel City Council: Thank you for responding to my inquiry regarding the “Developer Guarantees” for City Center, and for including […]
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TIF: Tax-Increment Financing or Taxpayer-Indebted Future?
Tax-Increment Financing (TIF) has been a prominent funding tool used by local and regional governments for decades to spur redevelopment of blighted areas within those jurisdictions. The basic premise of TIF is that redevelopment of a blighted area results in an increase in the value of the redeveloped parcel(s). TIF captures the additional revenue generated […]
Boosters and Haters: when loving your community is not enough
“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” – Abraham Lincoln Pride is an inherent emotion in all humans and extends to the things each of us says, does and experiences. It also […]
Carmel’s missing buildings and the phantom TIF; Worrell’s response to Mike Shaver’s Second request for documents
Posted By: The Reporter March 28, 2019 Dear Editor: The following is an email response sent from Carmel City Council President Jeff Worrell to Carmel resident Mike Shaver. Dear Mr. Shaver, I have received your second email regarding the matter of Developer Guarantees for City Center. Thank you for your kind words. Your second complaint […]
Mayor Brainard calls a Technical Foul – Removes Campaign Signs & everything but the American Flag
Will he be back for the Stars and Stripes? It would appear Dr. Tim Hannon’s flags are also in the easement. This has to be the most unusual easement in Indiana. It extends approximately 13 feet from the edge of the multipurpose trail to the edge of Hannon’s private front yard sidewalk. I […]
How to build a hotel without financing, public support or proven demand — and create a fiscal crisis at the Carmel Redevelopment Commission
Imagine that you reach a point in your life where you decide you want to build your own house. Not a modest single-story reach-style, split-level or neo-Craftsman, mind you. But the largest, fanciest and most noticeable house in town. Your new house is going to be so famous that townsfolk are talking about it even […]
When full transparency is worth more than a cup of coffee
Have you ever noticed? Carmel’s mayor and council incumbents are quick to trot out their cut-and-paste proclamations to convince us how great Carmel is — as if they somehow cannot trust us to believe in our own senses and experiences. “Carmel is ranked at the best place in America to raise a family.” “Carmel has […]
Why does a six-term incumbent need to find ways to eliminate challenges from within his party anyway?
As Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Joe Weingarten filed a request with the Hamilton County Election Board last week to have allegations of bribery in the Carmel mayoral GOP primary campaign investigated, it turned on a bright and shining light in a number of places local GOP insiders would likely rather it didn’t. […]
Register to vote now — your vote is more important than ever!
“In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate – look to his character. . . . When a citizen gives his suffrage to a man of known immorality he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that […]
Missing teeth and more New Commercial and Apartment Space is coming fast!
What is Mayor Brainards plan for vacant space? There are 217 Commercial Properties available currently in Carmel! How many thousand square feet of new space is coming online in the next year? We currently have 41 storefronts between the Monon and Woody’s Library on Main St. Of those 6 small businesses are vacant or a […]