Charlestown was once a boomtown. Our economy depended upon the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant for our jobs, our livelihood and our community’s wellbeing. But with the disappearance of these jobs, it became apparent to me that we had to change the way we look at growing and sustaining our community. The conventional route is a road to nowhere in this era.
The success of our city depends upon our ability to recognize that we can no longer do business the way we did in the past. That’s why I put together a team of business, government, education and civic leaders to examine the challenges facing our community and identify our areas of focus to allow our city compete in the 21st century global economy.
We used the metaphor of a chart at an eye doctor’s office to identify the biggest areas of focus. Similar to the large “E” at the top of the chart, these are things that anyone can see. We identified five areas to focus on:
Economic Development
Emergency Preparedness and Workforce Development
With those areas of focus identified, we got to work. We recognized that technology is the way of the future for businesses of all sizes, and we began pursuing new ways to bring technology into our community. We created new programs to bring together our community and enhance the relationship between the city’s government and its citizens. We courted new developments and new businesses to come to Charlestown.
Now, two years into my second term as mayor, the results are apparent. Our kids at Charlestown High School and Charlestown Middle School will be the first in the state of Indiana to enjoy the new One-to-One Computer Initiative, and the high school students will do so in a new, state-of-the-art building. We’ve renovated our streets, revitalized our parks and provided a wealth of activities for our residents. We have created a better place to work, live and raise a family, but there is still much to be done.