Eric Wathen for Congress

Written by Dave Stafford

The phrase “Everyone has a right to their opinion” is getting on my nerves. While uttered by those who obviously don’t believe it, it has some truth. Infamous examples that such can be a dangerous idea include Hitler’s opinion of non-Aryans, George Wallace’s opinion of civil liberties, and Obama’s opinion of business owners. Indeed they have their right to their own opinion, what they do not have is the right to impose those opinions on others. They all have had the power to act on their opinion, and contempt
for those they have directed their virulence toward. Were they powerless, their opinions would not have had the results, but would nevertheless have been an affront to civilization.

King George’s opinion of the colonists led him to see them as a resource of tax dollars. That opinion started a war of independence. The American spirit was one of liberty, not prone to accepting impositions from afar, an opinion that freedom is a God given right. Where has that opinion gone? How have we exchanged “freedom” for “free handout” and God for government? In all fairness, Obama is not the power himself. It is the Senate and Congress that gives vitality and even guidance to his excesses in pursuing
his opinion. Next month we can begin the process of removing that power. This month will you join me in protest by cutting off the life blood of government? Pay no taxes by not purchasing, not employing nor earning for one week beginning April 16th. Will you sacrifice a small hardship to let the powers-that-be know that they have taken long enough?

Two candidates on the May primary ballot stand out to me as having the opinion that freedom is still a right. You will find them profiled at the end of this issue. One aspires to Congress, to reverse our direction, one to county office to prudently adjust to the hardships imposed by higher government. Both will still try to supply vital services that are within constitutional justification. To provide for the general welfare, not just those who will vote for them. Provide for the common defense, not for those from outside, from those outside. Regulate interstate commerce, to allow free trade, not to trade freedoms.

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, and to the Constitution that guarantees its freedom, and to the Freedom that is its founding principal, one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for ALL.

Wathen to Take Integrity to Congress

“We need a new face on our conservative values”, is the campaign slogan of Eric Wathen. Wathen currently serves as a Hendricks County Commissioner, and is running for
Congress in the 4th Indiana Congressional District, the seat held by Steve Buyer. Buyer has decided not to run again, and there are a number of good men seeking to be the Republican candidate. The 4th has long been a Republican stronghold, reflective of Hoosier values, and the Republican Primary election in May will likely be the deciding race for the Congressional seat.

Wathen is an engineer, not a politician. Of the politicians he would be joining in Washington he says, “I don’t think any of them have been out in the real world with a real job.” As a County Commissioner, he says the biggest challenge is, “Keeping that balance between property rights and community needs.” As an engineer, he says, “The only thing you have is your integrity, if you loose that, you’ll never be able to get the trust back.” Of his candidacy, he says, “It’s a good opportunity and a chance to get this country back on the right path.”

Eric married his high-school sweetheart, Ann in 1999. They have 4 sons: Zane (8), Drew (6), Tyler (4) and Luke (1). For the past 6 years, Wathen has worked for Rinker Materials in technical marketing and sales.

AVON — Eric Wathen, Hendricks County Commissioner and Republican candidate for Indiana’s Fourth Congressional District, used a rally Wednesday night at the Prestwick Country Club to bolster support for his campaign and detail his stance on some of the nation’s most pressing issues.

The event almost didn’t happen. Wathen’s mother succumbed to cancer the night before after a years-long battle.

“It’s hard for me to be here tonight, but I think my mom wanted me to go forward,” Wathen said.

He noted how his mother raised him as a single parent. She did so through hard work. Then Wathen said his main interest in being a Congressman is for all the generations after him, including his four children.

“You can grow up to do anything you want to do, as long as you want to work hard and put forth the effort,” he said. “Right now I’m worried, with the path we’re going on in Washington, that our kids are losing that opportunity.”

With the national debt now up to about $45,000 for every U.S. citizen, Wathen’s household holds about a quarter-million in debt by itself. The solution?

“Stop spending money we don’t have,” Wathen said.

Indeed, the entire county budget is down about 6 percent from the year before. County commissioners have cut their budget by 20 percent. Any time there’s an increase in income, Wathen advocates using half that increase to pay debt. If income decreases, then decrease the budget by the same amount.

“That way we’re never spending more money than we’re bringing in,” he said.

But too many in the nation’s capitol, Wathen says, no longer remember what it’s like in the real world anymore. Instead they spend us into oblivion and pass laws meant to help us, but in reality only further limit our freedoms.

“I want to provide an opportunity for our kids — give them the same opportunities I’ve had my entire life and the same ability to succeed,” Wathen said.

The way to do that is “get government out of the things they don’t need to be involved in. Government shouldn’t be picking winners and losers like they are right now (with the stimulus and bailouts).”

Among his other stances, Wathen supports a flat consumption tax, not income taxes. He considers manmade global warming a farce.

“It’s egotistic of people to think we can actually control what’s going on with this planet,” Wathen said. “It’s been around a lot longer than we have.”

And the biggest problem with our health-care system is getting people who truly need help into pre-existing government programs.

“There are a lot of programs out there that are under-utilized that we could get people into,” Wathen said. “I think that’s a more effective way of doing it than a 2,400-page bill.”

Dave Berryman was there to show his support.

“I like what he’s done for the county,” he said. “That’s my motivation for being here. I think he’ll do a good job in Congress too.”

Greg Steuerwald, state representative for District 40, also was at the rally.

“He has a true belief in smaller government,” Steuerwald said of Wathen. “It’s not just rhetoric. He also treats the people’s money as if it was his own.”
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Online:
www.ericwathen.com

wade.coggeshall@flyergroup.com

For Eric Wathen, the time is now.

The Brownsburg-based county commissioner has announced his candidacy for Indiana’s Fourth Congressional District. Republican Steve Buyer, who has held the seat since 1993, announced last month that he won’t seek re-election.

“I was going to run in the future, but when Buyer made his announcement I decided the time is now to truly serve the people of the Fourth District,” Wathen said.

Wathen, a Republican, was elected to serve Hendricks County’s Second District in a party caucus in August 2007. He replaced Ed Shrier, who stepped down from his post, and won re-election in 2008. Wathen is a graduate of Tri-West High School and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He and his wife Ann have four sons.

Wathen is a civil engineer by trade. He feels that serves him well in politics.

“I think people are really looking for the person that really knows what it’s like to do more with less — someone who has been out in the private sector,” Wathen said. “If they elect me — and I hope they will — I think I can be that person because while I have some experience in local government, my full-time job is still in the private sector trying to support my family. I think I’ll bring a good balance and perspective to Washington.”

He said he’s not looking to make public office a career.

“I don’t know how long I’d be in Washington, just that it wouldn’t be forever,” Wathen said. “I want to go and make the biggest impact I can, then come home and be with my family.”

He acknowledges balancing public office with a family and a career is difficult. But news like last week’s — the announcement that our national debt now averages out to about $40,000 per every person in the United States — is enough to make him take on the challenge.

“If we continue on the same path, by the time my kids are 20 years older they’ll owe a million dollars toward the national debt,” Wathen said. “We have to do something now.”

Published: February 19, 2010 10:35 am | By Wade Coggeshall | Hendricks County Flyer

“We need a new face on our conservative values. Many Washington politicians have lost their way. Bailouts, spending, and disregard for working men and women has become commonplace in our Capitol.”

Brownsburg, IN- Eric Wathen a sixth generation Hoosier has filed his candidacy in Indiana’s 4th Congressional District. Wathen is a licensed professional engineer and graduate of Rose-Hulman. He lives with his wife Ann and four boys in Brownsburg, Indiana.

Wathen was clear on his reason for running. “We need a new face on our conservative values. Many Washington  politicians have lost their way. Bailouts, spending, and disregard for working men and women has become commonplace in our Capitol.”

“The government should not be in the business of creating winners and losers. The people of Indiana do not need the government’s help; they need the government to get out of the way. The people I know want to work hard, keep what they earn and look out for their families and neighbors. We don’t need the federal government’s help to do those things. We need focused and principled leaders to take those values and work hard on our behalf. I look forward to listening to every voter I can as I travel the District in an effort to bring smaller and smarter government to Washington.”

February 12, 2008 | Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the Hendricks County Commissioners, I am pleased to welcome you to the annual presentation of the state of our county.

Before I get started, I would like to recognize my fellow commissioners, David Whicker and Phyllis Palmer. I would also like to recognize the members of the county council who look after our finances. I feel that the commissioners and council have a great working relationship. Both groups understand the responsibility that we have to the residents of the county. We work well together to provide the important services that our citizens need in a financially responsible and efficient manor. Two others that definitely deserve recognition are our County Administrator Mike Graham and Administrative assistant Judy Wyeth. We are very lucky to have them.

2009 was a challenging year for all of our families, friends, neighbors, towns, county, state and nation. I am happy to announce that even though the state of the county is very much changed from 2 years ago when I last presented, we are still on stable footings. I am going to highlight some of the accomplishments of the past year and speak to some challenges that face us in the coming years.

Our county continues to grow at a steady, but much slower rate. Single family building permits were down only 16 percent from a year ago this time. This compares to the substantially larger, 75%, decline a year earlier. While doing better than single family residential construction, commercial and industrial developments have declined severely since 2007. There are a couple bright spots, however. An effort on the part of the County to recruit a major light industrial tenant for the 70 West development at I-70 Exit 59 paid off with the location of a 1.1 million square foot warehouse and distribution center. This is the latest step in the County’s five year old plan to develop the Exit 59 interchange as a center of planned business and light industrial uses. With a seed tenant at 70 West, the future of development at the Exit 59 interchange appears hopeful, despite a struggling economy.

Another bright spot is the continuing level of interest in development along the Ronald Reagan Parkway. If the degree of interest is any indication of future development activity, the Parkway is doing what it’s supposed to do: serving as a long-term foundation of planned, high-quality economic development in Hendricks County. Given that the Parkway is the result of a long-range vision coordinated among five separate jurisdictions, it is a testament to Hendricks County’s ability to guide its own future.

In planning and zoning matters, the Planning & Building Department kept busy. Among other things, the department, along with the Surveyor’s Office, Engineering Department, and Health Department, implemented an electronic permitting process. This allows for the electronic sharing of information between departments in the building permit and development review processes. The results are more efficient permit administration (i.e., doing more and working faster) and fewer trips between county offices for applicants. These improvements have been substantial enough to encourage County departments to take further steps in “eGovernment” in the coming year.

Further, in response to Indiana’s growing role in wind-powered electricity generation, the Plan Commission passed a comprehensive wind farm development ordinance. The county’s wind resources are such that wind farm development is likely in the next five years. As it’s designed to do, the Plan Commission acts proactively to have the regulations in place before such development is proposed.

The county is working diligently to keep pace with infrastructure needs. We are using the limited funds that we have available in the most efficient way we can to meet the needs of our residents. Some of the projects that we have completed in 2009 are:

• Paved 15 miles of roadway
• Completed Environmental/Historical work for Federal Aid bridge replacement (Br. 272)
• Secured Federal Aid funding for Bridge 127 in Clay Township, hired design consultant
• Replaced 1 bridge and 4 culverts
• Rehabilitated 1 culvert
• Designed 4 culvert replacements, 2 bridges
• Began construction on 56th Street, 65% complete
• Designed and bid main entrance road for East Campus
• Completed Environmental Assessment for RRP North of 600 North
• Secured Federal funding for RRP south of US 36, project let and awarded
• Selected and hired consultant for design on RRP from 100 S to 200 S
• Continued design for RRP north of CR 300 N, began right of way acquisition. Applied for TIGER Grant funding for construction
• Completed all environmental studies and research required for Federally funded purchase of 16 miles of B&O Right of Way from CSX, completed purchase
• Secured Federal funding for B&O Bike Trail, began and completed design on fast track for 2.8 miles, ready for letting in February 2010
• Completed Phase II of the Judicial Center Feasibility Study
• Secured an Energy Conservation grant funding for work on the Courthouse
• Many other capital and maintenance projects.

I would like to highlight a few of the projects that I just mentioned.

One of the major efforts that the County undertook this past year was the Judicial Center Feasibility Study. A large group comprised of both elected officials and concerned citizens met diligently many times throughout the year to study the pros and cons of which location would be better suited for a new judicial center. I would like to thank everyone that participated for the time and effort they donated to the County. The final report was very informative and provided some much needed information. The cost of a new judicial center could range from 42-49 million dollars, depending on if it is located down town Danville or out east of town. The shocking cost of either location has prompted the County to look for other options. We are currently negotiating with the Town of Danville to purchase their old town hall. This would provide much needed space to help relieve a crowded court house.

2009 was a successful year in finding funding for and moving toward completion of Ronald Reagan Parkway. The county secured federal funding for the section of the Parkway between US36 and CR 100 South. Construction will begin in March. We have started to purchase right of way for the section of the parkway from 300 North to the I-74 interchange. We have also applied for a Federal Tiger Grant to help fund this section. Design was started on the section from 100 South to 200 South. The environmental assessment was also completed for the section of the parkway between CR600 North and I-65. This will allow design on that section to begin soon. Once completed, the park way will help improve travel and increase economic development opportunities in Hendricks County.

Speaking of economic development, 2009 was a good year for attracting new companies to the county as well as existing business expansion. Hendricks County and the towns within it saw fifteen companies either move to or expand here. These companies represent almost 1,100 new jobs, over 36 million dollars in wages and over 170 million dollars of new investment. With the current state of the economy, these numbers are impressive and help to enforce the belief that I have always had that Hendricks County is a great place to have a business, live and raise a family. These new jobs and investment are a testimony to the great people and quality of life that IS Hendricks County.

We have been busy this year, working to meet today’s needs and planning for the future, now I would like to take some time to talk about the people who make everything at the county possible, the elected officials, department heads and employees.

Under direction of the Commissioners and Council, the Human Resources department helped to facilitate some change to the County policies and benefits that will help make it more efficient and accountable to the citizens. Employee performance reviews were completed county wide. They helped develop staff reduction policies and procedures. The department also helped coordinated efforts to establish an employee health clinic. The health clinic in partnership with Hendricks Regional Health will help the County save over $250,000 a year in insurance cost.

Speaking of health, the H1N1 pandemic created quite a challenge for the health department. As of January 26th, 32,158 residents of Hendricks County have been vaccinated. The health department staff faced the monumental task of coordinating the vaccination efforts county wide. They did an exemplary job and we thank them for it.

Along with the growth and positive changes to the county we still face many challenges. Other than infrastructure and economic development, the biggest issue facing the county is the increased burden on our law enforcement and judicial systems.

The Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department had a busy but productive year in 2009! Our personnel responded to almost 51,000 calls for service.

• The Uniform Division investigated 1,236 accidents involving 1, 927 vehicles
• Uniformed deputies made 1,151 criminal arrests
• Along with the Reserve Division, they put in 852,862 miles patrolling County roads/highways

The entire Sheriff’s Department performed at a high level in 2009! The number of fatal accidents in Hendricks County was down last year. They continue to work with our Prosecutor and staff in order to charge and convict criminals who commit crimes in Hendricks County. They also work closely and in cooperation with other police agencies in order to provide police service to the public when requested. In the Jail Division, they have increased the number of hours a nurse is available for inmates. The Sheriff’s Department was able to put over $200,000 toward the Pension Fund from fees collected for civil process service. By housing state of Indiana DOC inmates, we were able to collect $539,805 for the County General Fund which should be used for purchase of the county vehicle fleet. This was over $78,000 more than in 2008. We thankful that they will continue to strive to keep Hendricks County a safe place to live and hope for a great 2010!

During the year of 2009 there were a total of 5,246 inmates processed into the Hendricks County Jail.

The Hendricks County Work Release has helped control the population at the jail and given the Judges another option at sentencing. The total Report of Collections for the year was $154,609.97. Ninety (90) residents successfully completed the program and were released back into the community.

The Center has built relationships with more than 100 local employers. They are working closely with Family Services and Cummins Mental Health facility. Residents of the work release have participated in the quarterly Tox-Away days serviced by Waste Management.

Many local police departments are using the classrooms to conduct training increasing the skill level of our public service men and women. The Center is working closely with the Hendricks County Advisory Council. Through this relationship, many residents have worked on getting their GEDs.

In an attempt to solve some of the transportation limitations, the work release residents are using the LINK bus system regularly.

In 2009, many residents were able to continue their secondary education. The following colleges/universities were the source of education:

• Ivy Tech
• Lincoln Tech
• IUPUI
• Kaplan

The Hendricks County Prosecutor’s office was busier than ever in 2009. Over 5,000 criminal and juvenile new cases were filed, and the office also handled investigations and probation violations as well as traffic infractions. Criminal cases have been increasing at the rate of about 10% per year. The conviction rate for OWI cases in 2009 was 98%. Hendricks County has become a “no refusal” county. Search warrants for blood draws are obtained for suspects who refuse to take a chemical test for intoxication. A result of this is that we are also able to successfully prosecute those who are driving under the influence of drugs.

Susie’s Place, our local Child Advocacy Center opened in 2009. Interviews of child victims are now undertaken by trained forensic interviewers and are monitored by all concerned parties, including the police, prosecutor and child protective services, and the interview is recorded. This insures that almost always one interview is all that a child must go through, and the quality of the interviews is very good, enabling successful prosecutions. Sadly, the Hendricks County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team has needed to be established and is undertaking the review required by Indiana law. This group of community members including law enforcement, prosecutors and other professionals are charged with looking at facts of cases with final dispositions to see how community services did or did not respond to the matter.

Total cases filed in the Hendricks Circuit and Superior Courts increased from 14,494 in 2008 to 14,866 in 2009. In spite of the overall number of case filings increasing in 2009, there is good news to report from the courts. New mortgage foreclosures actually went down in 2009! Total foreclosures decreased from 1,012 in 2008 to 938 in 2009. This is a reduction of 74 cases, or nearly 4%.

All of the reports from our courts tell a story that we are familiar with, doing more with less. They are experiencing case load increases of about 4% per year while trying to cut their budgets. I applaud all of the Judges and their staffs for their hard work and dedication to serving the people of the County.

In 2009 your clerk, Cindy Spence, was busy with many duties as President of the Association of Circuit Court Clerk’s of Indiana.

Due to the complexity of the Child Support IV-D billings Cindy felt her office was not claiming everything she thought they were entitled to. So she enlisted help from a vendor, Maximus. After compiling current records for the company and seeing what she could be claiming, she found it was cost effective to contract with them. By doing so the company was able to go back 2 years and was able to back bill the State and get the county over $120,000.00

For Voter registration, 2009 was a great opportunity to perform maintenance on the voter records. Because of the heavy voter turnout in 2008, they were able to use the poll books to “clean-up” data. Even without an election, voter registration continues at a steady pace. The following numbers reflect activity during 2009:

NEW VOTERS: 3,002
UPDATE/TRANSFER: 5,006
DUPLICATES: 495
CANCELLATIONS: 8,045

As of the close of 2009, Hendricks County had 90,935 registered voters.

The Recorder’s Office has started a Property Fraud Alert program where you can register your name and be notified by e-mail or phone call any time a document is recorded with your name on it. Please see brochures on the information table or call the Recorder’s Office for additional information on this free service.

The Treasurer’s office implemented many things in 2009 to better serve the citizens of Hendricks County

• Implemented a 6 month payment plan for the 2008 pay 2009 tax year
• Implemented property tax payroll deductions for Hendricks County Employees
• Through the efforts of the Assessor, Auditor, and Treasurers’ offices, we will have one time billing with May 10 and November 10 due dates
• Created a web based email sign up for news releases and future electronic billing

In 2009 the Commissioners reviewed the operations of the County Home, Cypress Manor, and asked for public input on its purpose and if it was still needed in the County. There was an overwhelming response of “yes” it still serves a valuable service to our community. Cypress Manor continues the tradition of community-based care in Hendricks County. While 2009 has presented it with challenges we are grateful that the citizens of our County have strongly supported our mission to provide a home-like environment for those in need. This was seen particularly during the Christmas Season when approximately nineteen different groups or individuals came at separate times to bring gifts and/or interact with the residents. In addition, there are several groups and individuals who give of their time and finances throughout the year. Based on this strong expression of support, Cypress Manor is currently working to establish an association that will serve as a not-for-profit organization to strengthen and direct our support base.

The current economic situation has affected Cypress Manor. One significant factor is that the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration have temporarily suspended approval of any new applications for the Assistance for Residents of County Homes program. While this does not affect those residents currently receiving the assistance, it does affect how new applications for residency are being considered. Another effect comes in that we have seen a few more applications from individuals who seek housing as a result of loss of employment or housing. The economic crisis serves to underscore our commitment to responsibly administer funds appropriated to Cypress Manor.

It was a busy year for the Hendricks County Parks Department. They:

• Entered into a partnership with the Indianapolis Airport Authority and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to open a 209-acre nature park in Guilford Township. This unique partnership, led to the first time that land permanently protected for an endangered species has been opened as a public park. The park is planned to be opened to the public spring of 2011.
• Saved and restored a piece of Indiana history, a 97-year-old 120’ Warren Through Truss bridge, which is currently under construction as pat of a 350’bridge span that will link the two sections of McCloud Nature Park, giving Hendricks County resident access to another 100-acres or pristine nature areas.
• Entered into a purchase agreement to protect 140-acres of property in Washington Township and reserved the property for a future park development

The Hendricks County Soil & Water Conservation District worked hard to protect our natural resources.

With the Hendricks County Partnership for Water Quality, the SWCD took part in a county-wide clean-up and Earth Day Festival in April, educated St. Malachy’s students at a water quality field day in May, participated in the McCloud Nature Park Nature Fair in June, and had a booth and gave presentations at the county fair in July. The Partnership includes Hendricks County, the Towns of Avon, Brownsburg, Danville, Pittsboro, and Plainfield, the Solid Waste Management District, and the SWCD. A No-Till Field Day, co-sponsored with Boone County SWCD, was held August 20 at Mark Wiley’s farm in Clinton Township, north of Lebanon. The field day alternates between Boone and Hendricks Counties and will be hosted by Hendricks County in 2010.

Now that we have looked at the accomplishments and challenges of 2009 it is time to look forward to what 2010 holds for the County.

Some goals for County infrastructure include

• Rehabilitate 1 bridge
• Replace 2 bridges and 5 culverts
• Complete 56th Street construction
• Begin RRP construction from US 36 to CR 100 S
• Begin RRP Design from CR 100 S to CR 200 S
• Design 2 Federal Aid bridge replacements
• Integrate County Highway Department into Engineering Department structure
• Complete right of way acquisition for RRP from 300 N to US 136
• Construct 2.8 miles of B&O Trail with Federal funds
• Construct drainage improvement at Welch’s Lake
• Construct main entrance road for East Campus
• Construct Energy Conservation improvements for Courthouse using Stimulus funds

From an economic development stand point, 2010 should be steady year, despite the economic times we are experiencing, Indiana and especially Hendricks County will continue to excel. Hendricks County is a great place to live and work. With the help of the Economic Development Partnership, I am sure that this county will continue to be the first choice in Central Indiana for new companies to locate. New businesses means new job opportunities for the people of the county and new buildings translate into lower property taxes for our residents.

2010 is going to be a challenging year for local government. Revenues from both income and property taxes continue to decline. The County Council asked all departments in the county to trim their budgets by 20%. The Commissioners complied with this request and the rest of the departments did their best to comply also. The county is operating more efficiently than ever and will continue to strive to provide its citizens with great service.

The needs of the citizens will continue to be met. The Hendricks County government is full of intelligent and hard working people. I know that we all can work together to meet whatever challenges we face in the future.

I have covered a great deal of things during this address. I am going to finish it the same way I did two years ago. The state of Hendricks County is good and will continue to become even better. Here standing in front of all of you today, I can say to you that I am proud to be just a small part of the system. Everyone sitting here in this room and all of the residents of Hendricks County should be proud too.

Respectfully submitted,
County Commissioners,
Eric Wathen

April 30, 2008

Since being elected by a caucus of Hendricks County precinct committeemen last July, I have been focusing on the County’s infrastructure and Economic Development. This summer residents will see construction begin on CR 600N (56th Street) between CR 900E and Raceway Rd. and intersection improvements at CR 200N and Raceway Rd. The County is also working with the Town of Avon to improve CR 100N.

Hendricks County, the towns of Brownsburg, Avon, and Plainfield along with Boone County are currently negotiating with INDOT on a trade of State Road 267 for Ronald Reagan Parkway. If this trade becomes reality, it would allow the Parkway to be completed on a much faster schedule than if it were to be completed with local funds. The benefits of the Parkway will be two-fold; improved North – South access through the County for our residents and economic development.

One of the exciting projects along the Parkway that the County is working on, with the Town of Brownsburg, is a Motorsports Certified Technology Park. This type of Public-private partnership will help bring new businesses with high paying research and professional jobs to the county. To help ensure that the residents of the county receive the most benefit from new growth along the rest of the parkway and other areas of the county, we are working on updating our tax abatement ordinance to include provisions that base tax abatement for employers on them paying a wage that is at least equal to the county average pay. I have also been working with our Economic Development Partnership office to attract quality employers to the county.

These are just a few of the things that I have been working on. If you would like to know more or ask me a question, please contact me by email.

Eric Wathen
Hendricks County Commissioner