James Brainard

Mayor

Biographical Sketch of

Mayor James Brainard

Carmel, IN

Mayor Brainard was born in 1954 and raised in Bristol, a small northern Indiana town. Participating in scouting from a young age, Brainard achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He attributes these strong roots with his desire to make Carmel a family-oriented city. The dedication to country and the leadership skills learned in scouting also shaped his desire for public service.

Brainard attended Butler University in Indianapolis and was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He was able to fulfill his love of the political arena at college being elected as student body president at Butler. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Ohio Northern University. He also received a diploma from the Oxford Institute on International and Comparative Law, University of San Diego.

In the 1970s, Brainard served as a Republican Vice Precinct Committeeman and staff member of the Indiana Republican State Committee. He also had the honor of attending the GOP National Convention as a Delegation Assistant in 1976. In addition, he was precinct trainer for the Indiana GOP.

In 1982 Brainard set up a private law practice in Indianapolis concentrating in the areas of real estate and business issues. During that time he also served as an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Business at the University of Indianapolis.

He was active with his alma mater serving as a member of the Butler University Board of Trustees and president of the Alumni Association. His Carmel community involvement has included being an Assistant Scout Master to Carmel Troop 120 and coaching at Carmel Dad’s Club. He is also an active member of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carmel.

In 1995, those who knew his commitment to the community and his love of politics asked Brainard to run for the office of the Mayor in Carmel. He was successful against the incumbent mayor in that campaign.

The Carmel community has a very high quality of life. It was recently ranked as having the sixth highest per capita income in the nation. The City of Carmel is located in one of the 10 fastest growing counties in the United States.

Brainard began his term of office as Mayor of Carmel, Indiana in January 1996. That same year he served as delegate to the state and national Republican Conventions.

Since that time he has aggressively sought to fulfill his campaign promises, lowering taxes 14 percent over a period of three years. Carmel continues to have one of the lowest district tax rates in the state and the lowest in Hamilton County. Sewer rates for all Carmel citizens have been cut 10 percent, lowering them to 1982 levels and water rates have remained constant during his tenure as Mayor.

Mayor Brainard’s strong business background allowed him to bring a solid fiscal plan into city government resulting in tighter budgetary controls and efficient management. It also allowed him to understand that neighboring government entities should work together to create continuity on mutually beneficial projects. During his term the long-awaited 96th Street Bridge project was completed over White River added a much needed east/west connection for Carmel, Fishers and Indianapolis.

Other successful road additions and improvements include the award winning Hazel Dell Parkway. A four-lane north/south parkway on the east side of Carmel, with landscaped median and multi-use paths on either side. The use of roundabouts at two of the four intersections along the parkway greatly enhances its ability to move traffic efficiently. Brainard was planning for the future growth of Carmel when this project was designed through vacant farm fields. This parkway was built before there was a great deal of development existing in the area and before traffic congestion became a problem. Mayor Brainard has made it a priority to bring managed growth to Carmel, which is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.

Another new roadway envisioned by Mayor Brainard, which allows better traffic flow in Carmel is the extension of 126th Street connecting Rangeline Road to the US 31 Corridor. Intersection improvements at Rangeline Road and 126th Street have created a beautiful entryway to the proposed City Center project. It is the vision of the Mayor that Carmel needs a downtown to serve as a central focus for the community and a place where families can enjoy time together. It will be an area where people from all walks of life can meet, dine and relax together, in their own community.

Plans for City Center call for a retail and entertainment complex complete with an outdoor amphitheater, museum and a Performing Arts Pavilion add to the cultural amenities of the community. This complex is bisected by the Monon Trail linear park, which soon will connect approximately 10 miles to downtown Indianapolis. Across the street, the development calls for an office and apartment community with condominiums selected for another area within the development.

In addition to the plans for City Center, the Mayor has envisioned an area where light jazz music lingers in the air, as diners finish their succulent meals and passerbys look and shop in the art galleries and stores. This vision has augmented the beginning of plans for the Arts District, which will help to bring a sense of culture and a love for the arts into the very heart of downtown Carmel.

While creating new ventures and improving infrastructure to accommodate the changing needs of a fast-growing community, Mayor Brainard did not forget the desire many residents had to restore charm to the Old Town area of Carmel near Main Street and Rangeline Road, where the City was born. Improvements in this area included the reconstruction of streets with inlaid brickwork sidewalks and historical street lighting and signs. Water mains and sewer lines were also improved and curbing along the streets allowed for proper drainage of rainwater away from yards that had flooded for years with each heavy rain. This has increased the property values for homeowners and businesses in the area.

Through an aggressive effort to return residents’ federal tax dollars to the City, Mayor Brainard was instrumental in securing $8 million dollars in federal funds to help pay for local street improvements. Carmel was the only city or town in Hamilton County to receive federal road dollars from these allocations.

Mayor Brainard created a public private partnership, which resulted in the renovation and expansion of Carmel’s Merchant’s Square shopping center, voted best in the area by Indianapolis Monthly magazine. This shopping center lies on the southern gateway to the City of Carmel and it had fallen to disuse. It now boasts many thriving local retail stores and national chains such as Old Navy. It also is home to many restaurants with ethnic focus ranging from Greek, Italian, Japanese, and Mexican to American including Starbucks.

In today’s competitive business climate, Mayor Brainard has positioned Carmel as a city where people want to do business. His comprehensive economic development plan has encouraged the growth of established companies located in Carmel, and has brought in many new high-tech firms. His diligence in developing the Meridian Street Corridor helped it become home to the second largest concentration of office workers in the state of Indiana. During Mayor Brainard’s tenure, Carmel has become a proven leader in attracting high-tech businesses, growing entrepreneurial ventures, and serving as headquarters for some of the top corporations in the country.

Not to lose focus on the fact that families also need to have a place to play together, Carmel has seen an unprecedented addition of more than 450 acres of park land under Mayor Brainard’s administration. More than half of these additional acres have been donated. The creation of walking trails and bikeways added miles of linear parks to the community for recreation and family enjoyment.

Central Park is a unique park system designed and promoted under Mayor Brainard’s guidance. It will feature specialty gardens, landmarks and gateways. Public art will accentuate the area in strategic positions, as well as keep with the whole City’s feel.

After years of research, planning and dedicated work, Carmel celebrated the grand opening of its Monon Greenway, a rail-to-trail project, in November 2001. The beautiful 5.2-mile linear park was the culmination of efforts by the Carmel Mayor’s office, the Carmel City Council, the Clay Township Board of Trustees, the Carmel-Clay Parks and Recreation Department, the Monon Greenway Committee, and many volunteers. The Mayor’s background in law and his tireless dedication to this effort allowed the City to complete the laborious process of purchasing and closing on the more than 250 separate parcels needed to complete this project enjoyed by the entire community.

Mayor Brainard is also active in the international community as he participates in Carmel’s Sister City program with Kawachinagano City, Japan. Mayor Brainard served as Honorary Chairman of Carmel Sister Cities, Inc. in 1997 and 1998. In 1996 he visited Kawachinagano City to take part in a trade fair organized on Carmel’s behalf by the host city. This partnership continues to encourage the sharing of ideas through the various exchange programs set up with our police and fire departments and through the Carmel Clay School system.

Mayor Brainard’s achievements have not gone unnoticed. He is the first mayor in Carmel’s history to be elected to a third term. He has also been asked to become involved in statewide and national issues. In 2000, he was selected for the United State Conference of Mayors Presidential Transition Team and for the Urban Economic Committee of the United States Conference of Mayors. Locally he was chosen to serve on the Legislative Committee of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns for the 2000 legislative session. In 2001 Mayor Brainard was appointed to the Council for Investment in the New American City by the president of the US Conference of Mayors. In addition, in 2002 he was elected to the Board of Directors for the US Conference of Mayors, a position he will hold as long as he is Mayor.

Mayor Brainard is married to Elizabeth and they have four children: Jack, Will, Marie and Martha.

Honors and Awards Carmel has received during Mayor Brainard’s terms include:

Mayor recognized by the Merchant’s Square Developer for "sharing the vision in creating Merchant’s Square. Your support of this project has contributed inestimably to its success and to overall economic vitality of Carmel, IN." (Nov. 1997)

Best in State Award of Excellence from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Region 5 for outstanding operation and maintenance of the water pollution control facility (1997)

Local Government Cooperation Award (Sept. 1998)

Quality Construction Award for Hazel Dell Parkway (Contractor – Milestone Construction) from the Asphalt Association

Engineering Excellence Awards Competition – Merit Award to the City of Carmel for East 96th Street (Transportation Project Engineer – United Consulting Engineers and Architects) (1999)

Community Achievement Award for creative innovation in providing a municipal service or project from the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns for the Household Hazardous Waste Program (2000)

Good Government Award presented to Mayor Brainard from the Greater Harvest Institutional C.O.G.I.C for "governing with equality and integrity" ( Feb. 24, 2001)

City of Character - In June 2001, Mayor Brainard proclaimed Carmel a "City of Character" pledging to promote positive character qualities in homes, schools, churches, businesses, community groups and city government.

Award of Excellence from Indiana’s Water Pollution Control Association for excellence in quality assurance, quality control, record keeping and laboratory safety at Carmel’s Wastewater Treatment Plant laboratory. 2001

Innovations Showcase Award City - 2002 Indiana Association of Cities and Towns recognized Carmel’s City Center project for its innovative approach to redevelopment of a blighted area through a public private partnership.

Blue Star Corporate Flag recipient from Carmel’s American Legion Post to show that the citizens of Carmel stand behind the men and women who serve to protect the freedoms this country enjoys. Presented Patriot Day (9-11) 2002 .

Back to Mayor's web page

Updated 11-15-04


BACK TO:

Back to the City of Carmel Indiana's home page

© Copyright, City of Carmel, Indiana