Mark Hammer seeking at-large City Council seat

Friday, May 1, 2015

After nearly 20 years as Second Ward Councilman, Mark Hammer, 57, is seeking an at-large seat on the Republican ticket in the May 5 primary.

A local CPA since 1982 and owner of Hammer & Co. CPAs of Greencastle, founded in 2001, he was appointed to City Council in September 1995 and elected that fall.

"When I joined the City Council in September 1995, the city was just breaking ground on the 'new' water treatment plant, welcoming Crown Industries as the newest industrial member of our community and committing $325,000 of IBM funds to an Endowment Fund at the Putnam County Community Foundation," Hammer recalled.

"Since then the city has witnessed tremendous growth and accomplishments in both the private and public sectors. At the risk of failing to include some of these major items, a few of them are the extension of the People Pathways trail system, accepting the ownership and management of Big Walnut Sports Park, relocating the police station and City Hall from their antiquated former locations, and most significantly, being honored as a Stellar Community.

"Many of these public sector accomplishments could not have been possible without the pledge of the aforementioned funds to the Foundation," he continued, "and I imagine that initial funding amount would have been spent quite a while ago. Instead, the fund has grown to a much greater balance even while spending many times the initial investment on various projects throughout the city. Likewise, we have all benefited from formation of our Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts, which allowed us to fund major capital projects."

None of that could have occurred, he said, without cooperation of "both of the mayors with which I have served over these five terms, the city department heads and employees, as well as the various Council members with which I have served."

Hammer explained his decision to run for one of the three at-large seats in this year's election.

"While I have served residents of the Second Ward exclusively for 20 years, once you are sworn-in to office, it becomes obvious you are really serving all the members of the community, but are most responsible to your ward members. I have desired for several years to run at-large, but the opportunity never really presented itself as I didn't want to run for a seat that was held by an incumbent doing a good job serving the community even if they were a member of the opposite party."

Hammer said he is most proud that "for the most part, over the past 20 years, your City Council has been about as non-political as we can possibly be."

"There has been an occasional partisan vote or issue," he allowed, "but I know that I have always done what was best for the city and believe that I have represented my constituents to the best of my ability.

"I know that shrinking state funding along with increasing regulations and mandates from Indianapolis, as well as the federal government, will be our biggest challenge, but with good leadership, I am convinced we will rise to the challenge and find the necessary resources to meet them."

Hammer has served as treasurer of Putnam County Playhouse; past member and president of the Greencastle Park Board and is a member of Greencastle Christian Church and the Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce.

He and his wife of 35 years, Jeanette, reside at 720 Ravenwood Drive and are the parents of Marcy Gallagher, 32, Brownsburg, and James Hammer, 30, Loveland, Ohio.

"It will certainly be odd to have an additional two seats at the table when we convene in January 2016," he said, "and I will be honored to be part of that historic group."

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