Identify your top three (3) issues that you wish to address during your tenure in office and rank them in order of priority.
Smart Development We must focus on new development projects that both improve our community and have community buy-in. We can do this by ensuring that citizen feedback is actually considered during the planning process and that each project meets our high-quality building standards and environmental impact goals.
Fiscal Responsibility We must have a balanced approach when it comes to the city's finances. We need to maintain what makes our city great while making smart investments and improvements that will attract new business, as well as new workers, as our community continues to grow and thrive.
Returning Balance and Common Sense We must return balance and common sense to the city government. We have seen that a supermajority does not provide Hoosiers with good government, whether at the Statehouse or right here in our city government. Our elected officials must listen to citizen feedback and more importantly, be brave enough to stand up for what is right. We cannot be afraid to defend our teachers and to ensure members of our community have the freedom to worship however they please in our diverse community. This will ensure we can continue to grow our great city.
What do you believe is the role of the City Council in our community?
The most basic role the City Council should prioritize is to listen and respond to community feedback. Councilors must be willing to work with the community to come to an agreement when appropriate and necessary. Right now, that doesn’t happen often enough.
I also believe it is the role of our City Council to govern responsibly. For example, our debt has grown significantly without any real oversight or feedback. We need to ensure our spending is transparent and delivering the results we expect.
What experiences and qualities do you think makes you the best candidate for this position?
I attended the University of Michigan where I received my bachelor’s degree in Accounting before moving to Indiana in 2011 to attend the Indiana University McKinney School of Law. In law school, I studied Tax and was an intern for the Indiana Department of Revenue. I worked for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation before starting my career in corporate taxation.
I’ve lived in Carmel since 2015 and have been very involved and engaged in our community and with my church, St. Christopher’s. My education, work experience, knowledge of community, and engagement with my neighbors throughout Carmel over the last few years gives me the perspective I believe is needed to serve at the greatest capacity on the Carmel City Council.
How will you work with OneZone Chamber to ensure a thriving business community?
I would echo Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar when he says, “It’s imperative that lawmakers take action to improve our status and our ability to compete so that we provide opportunities for business to grow, for job creation and enhanced quality of life here in Indiana.” Meaning, my goal would be to work with OneZone to ensure we are making decisions that support our ability to grow business here rather than hinder our business opportunities. We all know that Indiana’s long-term economic growth rests on our ability to focus on investing in projects that will attract new Hoosiers and retain the current Hoosier workforce. This has been a problem for a while and we need a fresh perspective on how to reverse the brain drain trend. Carmel must be a destination for young workers, and we have a lot of work to do to realize this goal.
How can voters connect with you? (email, social media, etc.)
Voters can visit my website at: votejakeincarmel.com where they can read more about me and find links to all of my social media accounts.