WHITESTOWN — Ramona Carnahan has already seen a lot of change in the four years since moving to Whitestown.
“The farms disappearing, the housing that’s coming up so quickly, and more people,” Carnahan said.
The Boone County community is expected to double its population from nearly 15,000 to 30,000 within the next 10 years. That growth is one of the first things Carnahan and other customers at Hattie’s Coffee Shop will mention when asked about Whitestown.
“Lots of construction. Lots of cool things coming to Whitestown," said Kayla Taylor, a resident since 2019.
At March 11 meeting, the Town Council raised the question whether the changes across Whitestown should include converting the town into a city.
All Town Council members are collecting petition signatures to place the question on the ballot, though they are not openly advocating for or against the change. Patterson said the council's goal is to spend the next several months informing residents about the potential impacts, adding that "Largely, they may not notice anything at all."
The petition needs less than 400 signatures from registered Whitestown voters by August. Once certified by the county clerk, the town council would approve the question for the November ballot.
If Whitestown transitions to a city, the city manager, appointed by the Town Council, would be replaced by a mayor elected by voters. The change would also introduce new at-large council seats and modify public safety administration.
As a city, Patterson said Whitestown could prevent bordering county land from being annexed and have access to more flexible financing options.
“We’re obviously a different community than what we were when Whitestown was founded,” Patterson said. “Our growth has been exponential.”
Early opposition to the proposal has emerged, with a website encouraging residents to "Keep Whitestown a Town!"
Despite this, Carnahan offered a pragmatic view. "And I think it would be fine. But I would like to see how it develops."
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