Third candidate announces campaign for Noblesville mayor

A third candidate has announced his campaign for Noblesville mayor.

Mike Corbett

On Tuesday, Mike Corbett, owner of Hamilton County Media Group, which publishes Hamilton County Business Magazine, announced he’ll seek the Republican nomination next May to succeed current Mayor John Ditslear.

Ditslear, who was first elected in 2003, is not seeking re-election. His current term, which he was elected to in 2015, expires in 2019. Noblesville Common Council president Chris Jensen and Noblesville School Board member Julia Church Kozicki are also running in the Republican primary.

Corbett ran in the Republican primary for mayor in 2015 and 2011 and lost to Ditslear both times.

Driving his current campaign is what he calls a lack of transparency in city government, Corbett said.

“It became clear to me during early meetings about the Nickel Plate Trail just how unresponsive our government is,” he said in written comments. “Dozens of citizens at city meetings expressed their displeasure with the city’s plan to rip up the rails, but the deal had already been made and it didn’t matter what the citizens thought. The city went ahead with its plan anyway. That’s just one example of why we need change.”

Corbett provided five core principals he said will be the foundation of his campaign, and if elected, his administration:

• A commitment to the people of Noblesville to make their city government more transparent, inclusive and responsive.
• A commitment to maintain our small-town values, emphasizing responsible development, a preference for locally-owned businesses and a dense and thriving urban core.
• A recognition that historic preservation isn’t something to be tolerated but something to be celebrated and promoted as an economic and cultural development strategy.
• A sense of urgency in infrastructure development.
• A healthy respect for the taxpayer, who is currently paying some of the county’s highest taxes.

“Noblesville is a special place,” Corbett said. “But there’s a lot of pressure to conform to the kind of development we see elsewhere. We need leadership that recognizes our unique character and works to preserve it while propelling Noblesville forward into the bright future that lies ahead.”

Corbett is a member of the boards of directors for Noblesville Main Street, Noblesville Preservation Alliance and Hamilton County Area Neighborhood Development.

He’s also a member of the Midday Rotary Club and serves on the Southwest Quad Action Team.

He is married to Joni Corbett and has five children.