The City of New Castle, Indiana

Press Release

 

MAYOR'S 2008 REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL

December 15, 2008

 

            You and I are now at the end of our first year in this term of office together and I would like to take this time to update the Council on where we have been, and where I see us going in the future.

 

            We were elected to be good stewards of the city's residents' tax dollars, to provide them a high quality of life, and to lay a solid foundation for the City's future.  These are where our primary responsibilities lie.  How we respond to these challenges will be our legacy.

 

            To face our current economic crisis, we have tightened our belts and have passed a budget that is considerably lower than those of recent years.  We have reduced, from nine to three, through attrition and reorganization, the number of layoffs that we were going to be faced with within the City government.  And, those three will be returning to work on April 1^st when the parks open for the season.  We have consolidated the Parks and Cemetery Departments into one, and are looking at ways to further consolidate activities between our other departments.  We will continue to look for other inefficiencies and reduce them when at all possible.

 

            But, before the City and the surrounding County can attract significant new industry, the City must be physically attractive.  Our attention has been paid this past year to cleaning up New Castle and infusing life into the downtown. And, we have met with most of the downtown businesses to foster business retention and will extend this effort to all businesses and industry next year.

 

            This coming year we will be working even harder to beautify the city by planting flowers everywhere, and will continue removing litter, derelict houses, and tacky and illegal signage that had caused us in the past to be a less desirable city.  We will indeed be the prettiest city in East Central Indiana next year! 

 

            There is also the anticipation of new life to the downtown, with the opening of a fine restaurant and several new businesses, a soon-to-be-opened café, restoration work on the facades of seven buildings, and the City's successful court action to have the derelict Jennings Building placed into a receivership to the Historic Landmarks of Indiana.  Landmarks is now in the process of stabilizing the building, including replacing the windows, so that six new businesses might occupy the disheartening empty stores on the ground level.  There is indeed hope that we are getting the heart of our city beating once again.  The downtown is on its way to becoming an asset and not a liability. 

 

            Our most important challenge is to breathe economic life into the City.  The dark cloud hovering over us is the lack of stable industry within the city limits.  Traditionally, the property tax burden for a city of our size should be shared approximately 60% by industry, and 40% by residents.  Unfortunately, the residents now shoulder the majority of the burden, as we have lost considerable industry.  We owe it to the citizens to apply the greatest team effort that we can to return industry, business, and vitality to the City. 

 

            We have to do what is best for New Castle.  We have an elected responsibility to the citizens of New Castle to put their interests first.  And what is best for New Castle is also good for Henry County, since a healthy county seat will enliven the rest of the County.  Industry wants to come in to a county whose county seat is economically vibrant!

 

            The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) was formed around 30 years ago when virtually all industry was located within the city limits, thus an organization with only one economic development officer was sufficient to look out for the city's interests.  The EDC has done a fine job over the years.  But, the City is now at a considerable disadvantage, as most of the available property for new development is outside of the city and this is where most attention is logically directed now when new industry is looking for space in which to locate. 

 

            We must put an instrument in place to concentrate on building the City back up and to sell it to industry and business, as well.  We must put New Castle first!  And we are the ones who can best promote ourselves to the world!

 

            I am proposing that the following Economic Development Directorate be formed within the City administration, one that will direct significantly greater attention to the needs of the city than it received in the past for our $75K annual contribution to the EDC:

 

o       The Directorate will be headed by a Director of Economic Development, funded from the current Mayor's office salary line and accountable to the Mayor.

 

o       An Assistant Director's position will be funded from a portion of the $75K that would otherwise have been given to the EDC.  The remaining balance of the $75K will be applied to marketing and advertising New Castle to a degree not possible in previous EDC budgets.

 

o       Important consultants such as the utilities, members of the Plan Commission, and the Building Commissioner will automatically be a part of this strong economic development team and will be immediately available to meet with visiting industrialists and business leaders who visit our Economic Development office and want immediate answers to their questions.

 

o       Administrative support will be provided by the Mayor's staff.

 

o       The new offices will be located on the upper floor of the City Hall.

 

o       The City Council will be asked to organize an Economic Development Committee composed of three Councilmen to ensure direct liaison between the public and the City's economic future.

 

o       An Economic Development Advisory Board will be formed, consisting of local leaders who work and reside within the city.

 

o       A public meeting will be held each month in the evening to provide an additional communication link between the local citizens, the City Council, and the City's economic development efforts.

 

            We will not be competing with the County for economic development -- we will be complementing it, and it will be impressive to outsiders to see strong, mutual cooperation between the two governments.  There will be instances where it will be obvious from the start that a potential industry would be best served if it were outside of the City limits.  Realizing this, we will encourage what is best for all, no matter where it is, as what is best for Henry County is still good for New Castle. 

 

            We do invite the County to provide a staff member to our economic development team as a second Assistant Director of Economic Development, one who would primarily concentrate on County economic development.  Or, if the County decides to continue on as the County's Economic Development office, we will want to work closely with them, in the manner that the City of Noblesville works closely with the Hamilton County Alliance.  All told, we will be applying significant, additional resources to the overall economic development effort that were not available previously. 

 

            Again, it is not our intent to compete with the County, but we must put the priorities of the residents of our city first, and give them the representation and leadership that they deserve, but have not always had in the past. There must be public review and accountability in all that is done in the name of the citizens of New Castle!

 

            New Castle will be going in a new direction - Forward!  Do we have farther to go?  Certainly!   Will we make mistakes?  Perhaps!  But, by continuing to work together with the County, in whichever way they choose to go, this county seat will indeed become that shining city on a hill and the finest city in East Central Indiana, if not in all of Indiana, in which to live.  And New Castle and Henry County will soon be the envy of all and once again be a most desirous place to work and live!