By Nancy Price
Greenwood Mayor Mark W. Myers credited conservative spending and sound management as reasons for the city of Greenwood to maintain the state’s fourth lowest tax rate in the state while investing in public safety, infrastructure, quality of life and economic growth this past year, during the ninth annual State of the City address.
The event, hosted by Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance, was held Feb. 6 at The Nest Event Center in Greenwood.
Myers noted a strong balance sheet helped support several projects:
- The redevelopment of the former 19-acre Greenwood Middle School property. Myers presented interior designs for Greenwood’s new downtown fieldhouse, a year-round recreational and fitness center for residents, also serving as a destination for youth sports teams.
- The addition of Cummins’ new worldwide IT Hub. The multimillion-dollar investment by the Fortune 500 company will provide at least 500 professional jobs paying an average annual salary of about $100,000.
- Reimagined Old City Park. The nearly completed park includes a 23-foot tall cube tower, custom climbing wall and permanent outdoor installations for football, cornhole and bocce ball. A new pedestrian bridge will be added, and an 18-foot promenade will run adjacent to Pleasant Creek.
- The launch of new services through an online business portal. Greenwood was the first municipality to partner with INBiz, the state’s one-stop online resource for Hoosiers to register and managing their business using an expedited process for conducting business transactions with the state.
Myers continued the address by noting success in the following areas within the past year, plans for continued project growth and new developments:
- Public safety: three new police officers and three full-time firefighters (the positions were funded by a 1 percent food and beverage tax); and the launch of Greenwood’s first crime mapping software.
- Infrastructure/technology: construction of the Western Regional Interceptor; the addition of an online sanitation payment portal; the continued expansion of Worthsville Road with several roundabouts; and the new Department of Public Works building to open later this year.
- Quality of life: Freedom Springs Aquatic Facility’s revenue exceed expenses by more than $300,000; Greenwood Community Center’s annual revenue increased by 35 percent; a future 100,000-square-foot event lawn for cultural events; and a future state park to replace Northeast Park.
- Economic development: the newly formed Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance; Myers have credit to the organization’s leadership, staff and members for the smooth transition and stated the organization creates a number of efficiencies and will streamline business attraction and cultivation throughout Johnson County; a new zoning code; and a new ground hangar at the Indy South Greenwood Airport, with the future addition of another corporate hangar.
Myers concluded the address by stating that he is feeling stronger every day by participating in three weekly sessions of 9Round Kickboxing to improve his body’s agility and flexibility. Myers, who announced that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in December 2019, compared the state of his health to the city of Greenwood’s condition. “Folks, Greenwood is on a roll and could not be healthier,” he said. “When our community looks in the mirror, we can be both proud in what we see and energized for the progress yet to come.”
