Mayor Blair Milo signs candidacy papers Jan. 28 at the LaPorte County Clerk’s Office.
(Photo and info from mayor’s office)
While Mayor Blair Milo announced her candidacy for a 2nd term as LaPorte’s mayor on Dec. 4, 2014 (read her announcement on WNLP at http://whatsnewlaporte.com/2014/12/04/57928), she sealed the deal on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015, by officially filing at the LaPorte County Clerk’s Office. The city primary election is May 5 and the general election is Nov. 3. Milo issued this press release Jan. 28:
“I’m exceedingly proud of the accomplishments our team has achieved over the past three years, but more than that I’m excited at the prospects of what we’re continuing to build. Our community team has grown a strong momentum of progress and I would be honored and grateful for the opportunity to continue leading us to greater successes than we even set for ourselves,” Milo said.
Mayor Milo has played a leading role in a collaborative team which has led to numerous successes over the past three years. Some of those accomplishments include:
- Enhanced community engagement through Facebook
- Expansion of the Thomas Rose Industrial Park
- Retention of over 1,000 jobs and the growth of over 500 new jobs leading to 3% unemployment
- Initial development and master planning for New Porte Landing
- Decrease in crime rate of 35%
- $1M+ in road paving
- Establishment of the Triangle Transit route, LaPorte’s first interurban bus system connecting LaPorte, Michigan City and Purdue North Central
- Increase in public transportation ridership of 22%
- Initiation of the Maple City Grand Prix
- Creation of “Fitness Fridays”
- Increased manpower of Code Enforcement Department
At the start of 2015, Mayor Milo published an article detailing some of the projects in progress for 2015, including:
- Installing large-scale infrastructure in New Porte Landing and Thomas Rose Industrial Park
- Programming $1.5M+ towards road maintenance and establishing a comprehensive road maintenance plan for routine budgeting
- Building partnerships between businesses and the LaPorte Community School Corporation
- Opening an Ivy Tech location at Thomas Rose Industrial Park
- Returning manpower for the police and fire departments to full staffing
- Adding an outpatient drug treatment facility downtown
- Demolishing 618 Lincolnway (former Woolworth building) in preparation for a downtown plaza
- Completing construction and opening the Community Garden at Michigan and Maple avenues
“The goal that I’d like to set for LaPorte is to build a community that can exceed any Disney park as the happiest place on Earth,” Milo said. “In order to do that we must create equal opportunities for each citizen to earn success, and empower every individual to add value to the world around them, however he or she wants to define those terms. I’m looking forward to sharing over the next few months why that’s in LaPorte’s economic and social interest, how we achieve such a lofty goal, and why I think we’re more than capable of succeeding. Our community team will open doors for happiness that each individual can walk through!”