By Beth Taylor
On April 4, Mike Colby canvassed neighborhoods, hoping to place his yard signs on voters’ lawns. After losing to Selina Stoller in the last election by only 12 votes, Colby wants to get back on the city council.
“I ran the first time because I had ideas. I want another shot at it,” said Colby.
Colby said that low turnout of 1,500 voters was likely part of the cause for his loss.
A resident since 1986, Colby has served the Fishers community for nearly 20 years. His experience includes time spent on the Fishers Board of Zoning Appeals and the Advisory Plan Commission. He was elected to the Delaware Township Board in 2006 and then elected to the Fishers Town Council in 2010. He also helped to get the neighborhood matching grant program started.
“I was elected to town council for four years, but because of the change involved that required us to hold another election, I only served three,” said Colby. “(Selina) Stoller was elected to one year. The seats that were not affected were the incumbents who won,” he said.
Colby’s experience extends to state government. He was appointed by Mitch Daniels to serve on the Indiana Veterans Affairs Board and by Mike Pence to serve on the Indiana Medicaid Advisory Board.
Colby, a retired Army Major and Vietnam veteran, moved to Fishers when he was stationed at Ft. Harrison and has seen the city grow from a small town.
“Development is inevitable, so we have to do it smart,” said Colby. Because of his years as a resident, he has depth of knowledge of the history of Fishers’ development. He remembers cow pastures off of 116th Street and knows what has replaced them.
Colby wants to:
- Promote responsible growth
- Update aging infrastructure
- Support public safety
- Represent the residents of the district
“Public service is my way of paying it back,” he said. “It’s my community. I want to do what I can to make it a better place.”
His concerns for the Northwest District include widening of Allisonville Road and concerns for The Orchard neighborhood. “I want to make sure that this district isn’t forgotten in the midst of city growth,” he said.
Colby likes the current administration but has concerns about the future balance of power. “We have a fine mayor. He knows the job and is doing a good job,” he said. “I want to make sure we keep fiscal responsibility in the budget.”
Colby said that integrity and honesty are foremost. “When people are going to the polls the want to know what they’re getting. With me, they know what they’re going to get.”
