Sixteen years ago, Mike Johns purchased an 11-acre property in Westfield because he foresaw future growth and opportunity.
Johns had the property annexed into the city and developed the Bainbridge neighborhood with 15 custom homes.
Now, Johns has announced his candidacy for the Westfield City Council District 5 seat. The district includes Bainbridge, the neighborhood he created. It also includes Village Farms, Silver Thorne, Beacon Point, Shadow Lakes, Crossings at Springmill Villages, Oak Ridge Crossing and a portion of Viking Meadows.
Johns is running because he’s heard concerns from residents regarding Westfield not growing as planned. After attending council, plan commission and zoning meetings, he decided his business skills and expertise would benefit the council if elected.
“I am not a politician, nor do I see this as my next career. I am blessed to be a cancer survivor and welcome this opportunity to give back,” Johns said.
If elected, Johns said he would focus on economic development to attract new business and a more conservative approach to spending and assumption of debt, maintaining the quality and safety of schools, negotiating better deals with developers and improving services for senior citizens. He also would seek to update the city’s 2007 comprehensive plan.
Johns is a real estate broker with Century 21 Scheetz. He ranked in the top 1 percent of brokers in Hamilton County in 2018. Previously, he was a treasurer for the American Marketing Association of Indianapolis and was on the marketing committee of the Indianapolis Zoo. He earned his MBA from Northwestern University.
Johns still resides in Bainbridge with his wife Holly, where he serves as HOA president. They have two grown children, and their four grandchildren attend Westfield Washington Schools.
