Typically, an elected official in Hamilton County is a Republican, because we operate as a single-party county. Yet, after careful consideration, one might assert that many are RINO’s (Republican in Name Only) at best. Perhaps, it’s time we re-examine the tenants of the party and the core beliefs that make fiscal conservatism important. Excerpted from an online source, I have substituted the words “county and city” when “nation and country” appeared in the text, to give you a “local” perspective:
The best government for the people is one that is closest to the people, and therefore the government should not interfere unless they are needed.
The strength of the county lies within the individuals who live in the city, and therefore feel that the individual’s freedom, dignity, and responsibility must come first and foremost in our government.
Free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative are what has brought the city’s economic prosperity in the past, and what will continue to bring it prosperity today.
The government must practice fiscal responsibility, and allow its people to keep the money that they work for. (2014, April 11. www.republicanviews.org/what-is-a-republican-republican-definition/)
Often viewed as the opposition to “big government” the Fiscal Conservatives of Hamilton County see the following ideas being presented to us; activity rather than productivity; socialism and elitism; the results of efforts made, rather than production from hard work. Some of the cities in Hamilton County are mired down with ineffective/inefficient TIFs; relying on rooftops for their tax base, their financial houses aren’t in order; there are planning and zoning issues across the county and overarching taxing is being used satisfy the very debt they have created.
A few of the FCoHamCo attended yesterday’s Town Hall Meeting at the Judicial Center in Noblesville and heard from our House Representatives and Senators. To be told if you don’t like the way your local government is operating that you must elect new representatives is a hard pill to swallow, when you don’t see a challenger in every race! Most people run for elected office because they legitimately want to serve the public. I’ve read a lot of trite comments on social media lately that say, “If you don’t like it, move.” Is that really the appropriate response or is it just a response from community trolls?
What I believe is happening, particularly in my community, is the circle is getting smaller. We are calling on the same group of people to lead, not because they necessarily do it effectively, but because they do it period. Imagine a city council full of new faces with fresh perspective and ideas to solve problems rather than declare that residents have NIMBY syndrome. (An acronym used frequently by Westfield City Council meaning “Not in My Back Yard.” This is what concerned citizens hear when they show up to speak to their Councilors.) As one of my neighbors once said, “An election isn’t really an election when only one person is running.” If you consider the entire community to be your backyard and you’re willing to stand up for what is right, then please, throw your hat in the ring and challenge the status quo!
The filing deadline for the municipal election primary in Hamilton County is February 8th at Noon. Don’t let the occasion slip by to make a difference; unchallenged races are lost opportunities to change the political climate of your community.
A note about the author: Marla Ailor is a 20-year resident of Westfield Washington Township, a wife, student and mother to one son. She ran for Township Trustee in the 2018 GOP Primary and lost to the incumbent. In that same year, she joined several other like-minded HamCo residents on the board of the Fiscal Conservatives of Hamilton County PAC.