In order to create real economic growth in Noblesville, we must ensure that it is a place where people and businesses want to be. That means is having a safe community, good schools, and high paying jobs.
When we create a community that people and businesses want to move to, we create sustainable economic growth and a place that people and business are excited to be a part of. As we expand to accommodate for such growth, we must ensure that we are respecting our history! Our citizens are proud of Noblesville's history and it should be celebrated.
When we create a town that people are proud to live and work in, we can hopefully create more community engagement. An engaged community is a passionate and successful one. After all, our elected officials should work for us.
The tax payers' dollars should be used responsibly to maximize the items mentioned above. I believe that our leaders are not doing so.
For example, SMC is a manufacturing business that has it's headquarters here in Noblesville. When they decided to expand their building this year, they asked for a tax abatement and were granted $7-8 million dollars over the course of 10 years. Those in favor of giving the tax cut to the business argued that SMC would pick up and leave if they weren't given the break. I disagree.
Though SMC has been great for the community, the citizens have done their part when they gave SMC a tax break to move their headquarters here around 10 years ago. Would SMC pick up and move their headquarters, that they have invested millions in, just because they were not given an additional tax break to expand an already existing building? Not likely. Even if they did, is that something the community would be okay with? Being threatened by a corporation to take their ball and go home after we already gave them our tax dollars in order to help them move to our community? I certainly don't think that is a good precedent to set. I certainly don't think that we want to allow businesses to bully the tax
payers. Tax abatement needs to be used responsibly to move a company here that otherwise wouldn't, that is going to create high paying jobs, and have a positive impact on the economic growth of the city.
We should be actively engaging good companies to set up shop in Noblesville. We do that by creating a place where people and businesses want to move because of the community safety, good schools, and by making good deals with businesses. Not by giving a tax break to anyone who asks or to companies that attempt to bully the tax payers. These decisions need to made responsibly and judiciously.
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