Business View Civil and Municipal | February 2021

59 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL FEBRUARY 2021 SHELBYV I LLE , INDI ANA the municipality was investing in valuable infrastructure – fixing roads, curbs, drainage and more. And Shelbyville invested in sustainability and green projects to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce the city’s electric and gas costs, while creating trails and outdoor recreation for residents to enjoy. Most of these projects were done with either full or partial grant money from state programs and year over year, while completely reimagining the city in every way, Shelbyville’s taxes remained the same or were even lowered by a few cents. The city has a population of 20,000 in its 11 square miles and is conveniently located just 26 miles southeast of Indianapolis. Mayor of Shelbyville, Tom DeBaun, spent 20 years as the city’s director of planning before deciding to run for office in 2011 and has spent nine years spearheading initiatives. Taking the time to plan and managing to stick to that plan to accomplish the city’s goals on budget. “Shelbyville is currently seeing a resurgence,” says DeBaun.