Common Causes – Brian Ayer

Brian Ayer Is Retiring After Two Decades on the Noblesville Common Council

Writer / Julie Yates
Photography Provided

After serving on the Noblesville Common Council for 20 years, Brian Ayer is retiring. Citing his reason as wanting to make more time for travel and family, especially grandkids, he will still be involved in the community through volunteerism and business. His long-standing desire to make Noblesville a great place to live has not diminished.

The purpose of the Common Council is to pass ordinances, approve Noblesville’s budget and oversee how money collected by the city is spent. As an at-large member, Ayer represents the entire city, not just a specific district. However, even before he became a councilman, Ayer was active in the community.

In 1964, when he was 5 years old, Ayer moved to Noblesville with his parents. A 1976 graduate of Noblesville High School, he began working in the real estate business when his parents opened Ayer’s Real Estate in 1978. As a result, he became engaged in many organizations in the area.

“Since I was in the real estate business, I got heavily involved with the community,” he says. “I’ve been a past president of the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce and a board member of several organizations. I was busy with the Elks Lodge, Moose Lodge and Noblesville Main Street. Several years ago a vacancy came up on the County Council and I was approached because I was active in the community. It was through the caucus process and I didn’t win the seat, but it got me started thinking about local government. At that point I wanted to wait until my kids were in high school, so I ran for Common Council 20 years ago. This year is the first time since then my name hasn’t been on the ballot.”

Noblesville has seen a lot of change in 20 years. According to Ayer, the population was 34,000 in 2004 and the city budget was $44 million. Today the population is 73,000 and the budget is $117 million.

It is an understatement that under Ayer’s watch, Noblesville has witnessed a huge amount of growth. Economic development projects have included Hamilton Town Center, Washington Business Park, Embassy Suites Conference Center, Campus Center, Dillon Park, Federal Hill Commons, Midland Trace Trail, fire stations and apartments. Several roads have been extended such as 146th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway.

“City government is unlike running a business,” Ayer says. “There is a lot to absorb. It moves slower than private business. The Pleasant Street extension took years of planning before anything came to light. Bridges are controlled partially by the county. Right now people don’t like the building congestion, but when it’s finished, it will help traffic. The decisions we make impact the future of the community. We must think not just what it is immediately but how it will look 20 years from now.”

“It’s bittersweet and I will miss thinking about the city every day,” he adds. “I’ve spent enough time on Common Council but I’m not going anywhere. I still live here and am involved in the community. Noblesville is unique and what we have, no one else in the county does. I’m leaving it in good hands. We have a great mayor and great council members.”