Scott Willis Looks Forward to Cooperation, Collaboration and Continued Growth as Mayor
Writer / Renee Larr
Photographer / Justin Sicking
Newly elected Westfield Mayor Scott Willis has always had a passion for service. After graduating from Purdue University, he joined the United States Marine Corps. When Willis returned to Indiana in 2000, he met his wife, Stacey. The pair initially lived in Noblesville, but moved to Westfield shortly before their second daughter was born. The couple was attracted to the small-town feel and the world-class schools.
“When we moved to Westfield the population was close to 10,000,” he says. “My wife and I wanted to live near a larger city like Carmel with the wonderful amenities, but didn’t want our kids in such a large school district.”
As his career in the Marine Corps ended, Willis looked at other ways to serve. He explored opportunities to continue serving a bit closer to home. He was active in many organizations in the community including Westfield Youth Sports, the Westfield Washington Public Library board of directors, the YMCA steering committee, the Planning Commission, and the Redevelopment Authority for the city.
“People in the community whom I respected had been encouraging me to consider running for public office, so in 2019 I decided to give it a shot,” Willis says.
Willis most recently served as Westfield city councilor, and during his time in the role, he learned just how dysfunctional local government can be. He says he has expanded his knowledge of municipal finance, economic development, zoning, and how local ordinances impact residents. Willis says all of this laid a necessary foundation that will prove invaluable when he takes office.
“The past four years have certainly been difficult for Westfield,” Willis says. “Elected officials throughout the city have not gotten along, and the infighting has created an environment where businesses and developers have chosen to stay away. Stability in government is critical for a city, especially when you are competing against the likes of Fishers and Carmel. Investors want to spend their time and dollars wisely, and have chosen to stay away from our community as a result. I hope to build an environment of cooperation across all branches of government and look forward to collaborating with our new council and clerk treasurer to improve our city’s reputation.”
A critical goal for Willis is determining what’s next for Grand Park. He says his vision is to take it to the next level. Willis says he wants to find a partner in the private sector with experience in running sports venues that can help the city run a more efficient operation.
Additionally, he wants to improve the development around the park, which creates more of a destination for visitors.
“Grand Park eclipsed 5.1 million visitors this past year, which is truly amazing,” Willis says. “Unfortunately, a substantial portion of these visitors did not stay or spend tourism dollars in our community. Carmel, Fishers and Noblesville were the benefactors of this. Grand Park could become an economic engine for our city, but it is critical we get a better return on our investment in the park.”
Another primary focus of Willis’ campaign is revitalizing the downtown area while keeping the small-town feel. He says Westfield is the only city in Hamilton County lacking a thriving downtown. Willis says the work will begin by bringing more density to the area.
“With people come restaurants, shops and amenities, creating a walkability and a destination to our downtown area,” Willis says. “My vision to deliver this involves four phases that will take time to develop. We will focus the next few years on our southwest downtown corridor, which includes Park Street, the new library and Grand Junction Park. I will be sharing specifics over the next few months after I take office and look forward to hearing feedback from residents.”
Willis wants to bring NorthPoint Two back to the council for consideration. He says 90% of the city’s tax revenue comes from residences, and 10% from commercial development. Willis says this is not sustainable in the long term, and Westfield must find a better balance.
“I see SR-38 as an important commercial corridor for Westfield, and we must capitalize on this moving forward,” Willis says. “There will be changes to the original PUD, and I am creating a task force of leaders and residents in the area of development to try and make this the best project possible.”
Willis says he’s excited to lead the city forward, working with other newly elected officials. He says the group is excited about leading the city with new and creative ideas.
For more information, visit westfield.in.gov.
