The Morning After
By the time you read this, the election signs will be coming down, campaign mailers will be finding their way into recycling bins, and the endless stream of political advertisements will finally have stopped. For some, the election results brought celebration. For others, disappointment. That's the nature of democracy. Not every candidate wins. Not every voter gets the outcome they hoped for. But regardless of who won and who lost, the most important part of the election begi
The Biggest Job Interview in St. Joseph County
I In a few short weeks, voters across St. Joseph County will make several of the year's most important hiring decisions. The positions may not come with fancy corner offices, company vehicles, or annual performance reviews, but the people selected will have tremendous influence over our community. We'll elect leaders who will help shape public safety, education, tax policy, government services, economic development, and the overall direction of our county. Think about that fo
Legislators Take Aim at Improvements to Indiana’s Tax System
We’re a month away from the start of the 2025 Indiana General Assembly Legislative session. This long session happens every two years and is when lawmakers consider the biennial State budget. However, it also means they have more time to consider many different issues between the start of January and the late April finish. A new Governor and a few new faces at the legislature have people speculating about just what might be the top 2025 priorities. Property taxes are one issu
We Could See Fewer Orange Barrels (unless something changes)
It’s a common anecdote in our area that we have two seasons, winter and construction. We’re nearing the end of the construction season, and over the next several weeks, you’ll see key road projects completed or buttoned up for the winter. Those construction projects are critical to our communities and the local economy. The Indiana economy thrives because of our ability to move goods, services, and people easily throughout the state. Each year, governments prioritize those cr
Campaigns Can Hamper People, Business Attraction Efforts
Imagine trying to sell a product at your business by drawing attention to all that is wrong with that product. That would likely limit your growth opportunities and you probably wouldn’t be in business too long. Put that in context with elections, fresh on our minds coming off primary elections earlier this week. We heard a lot about the problems in our community and what’s going wrong, but little about how to fix them or about what is going right. Imagine being a business th
READI 2.0 Top Legislative Priority for the Region
On Monday, January 9, the Indiana General Assembly will convene for its 2023 Legislative Session. The state’s 50 Senators and 100 Representatives will huddle through the end of April as they consider Indiana’s priorities over the next few years. The top of the priority list for the general assembly every two years is the adoption of the biennial State budget. The state budget each year is about $46 billion. The line of people advocating for budget priorities may stretch arou
Make the right "Hire"
The deadline passed Monday of this week for you to register to vote in this May’s primary election. Hopefully you are signed up and are...
We Receive the Air Service We Support
It’s really pretty simple, businesses tend to go where they think the customers are. The airlines are no different, and a community...
Legislature Kicks Off 2018 Session
Today, the Indiana General Assembly will kick-off it’s 2018 Legislative Session. This year is a short session, with a scheduled end in...
Something Must Give
The Indiana General Assembly reacted to protests from voters over rising property tax bills and in 2008 placed property tax caps into...
