2026 State of Jasper

Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide gave his final state of the city address to the council last week as he prepares to step down from the position on March 31.

The mayor reported Jasper maintains a robust financial position with over $32 million in reserves at the end of 2025, exceeding the $26 million the city had budgeted by $6 million. The city’s conservative financial approach keeps reserves well above the recommended 30 to 50 percent of the yearly budget suggested by the Department of Local Government Finance.

He added that they had $5 million in additional capital requests across the city’s departments, but approved only $370,000.

“The key takeaway is the city continues to take a conservative approach to help bridge the gaps for future property and added tax credits,” Vonderheide explained.

The city currently earns 4-5% interest on invested reserves, generating additional revenue.

The city allocated $2.5 million from reserves for the Regional Wellness Center and $1.5 million for a new fire truck in 2025, along with $714,000 for the Cultural Center and $276,000 for a window replacement project. Despite these expenditures, the city maintains conservative projections of $26 million in reserves for the end of fiscal year 2026.

However, the mayor expressed serious concern about employment trends, revealing that Dubois County lost approximately 1,000 jobs between the first quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2025. He cited local companies being purchased or their operations consolidated as factors in the reduction.

“I’m really concerned about this,” Vonderheide said. “We need small businesses to come in here to be seen. Otherwise we’re going to sit here one day and wonder what happened to our property values when there’s no demand because there’s no jobs.”

He stated that it was an important issue to address and that the area’s accessibility was a barrier to attracting new businesses. “We’re not an easy place to get to,” he said.

He stated that the issue has also been recognized by potential new businesses.

“They’re not interested if we don’t have a road. They’re not interested if we don’t have a railroad,” Vonderheide said. “Those things are essential for future businesses.”

Employment challenges extend beyond the broader economic picture to city operations. The police department experienced 17 personnel changes in 2025, including seven total hires. Staffing shortages affected service levels, with officers working longer shifts and extended hours to maintain coverage.

“This is in part due to our staffing issues we had as we lost people and the long lead time to replace,” the mayor notes. “We were shorthanded, people were working long shifts, long hours, weren’t quite up to the level that we wanted to as far as coverage.”

The city will also be replacing two department heads, as the current director of personnel, Cale Knies, and the general manager of utilities, Rob Young, have announced their resignations to pursue new positions.

Despite staffing challenges, city departments report significant achievements. The municipal pool sets records with over 33,000 swimmers this season, surpassing the previous high of 24,000 from 1974. Buffalo Trace Golf Course generates $975,000 in revenue, maintaining profitability for the second consecutive year.

The parks department completed several major projects, including a $40,000 investment in the Ruxer playground and a sand volleyball court at Bueller Park as a Mayor’s Youth Council project.

The Habig Center also had record attendance of 34,800 visitors, nearly 2,000 more than in 2024.

Jasper Arts celebrated its 50th anniversary with a rebrand and record-breaking performances, including the highest quarterly ticket sales in the department’s history. The organization hosted over 9,400 gallery visits and reached 47,800 people through various programs.

Infrastructure improvements continued across multiple departments. The water department treated 632 million gallons of water and completed an emergency backup water supply project, adding over 9,260 feet of new water line. The wastewater department treated 973 million gallons of wastewater while developing asset management plans for future equipment investments. They are also in the process of taking the final steps to create a path to the new northside wastewater treatment plant.

The electric department is progressing on a new substation on 36th Street, with activation expected in March 2026 after delays caused by parts shortages. The automated meter infrastructure project is nearing completion with electric meters 100% installed, water meters 87% installed, and gas meters 89% installed.

Community development showed positive momentum with 48 new residential units created in 2025, including 26 single-family and 22 multifamily units. Total building investment reached $48 million, a 27% increase from 2024, driven largely by renovations and expansion by the school corporation.

The comprehensive plan process engaged over 1,400 residents through surveys and interviews, including Spanish-language versions. The planning effort generated over 50,000 community touchpoints through social media and the Jasper Insight app, with six public open houses scheduled.

“I can’t say enough about the involvement of our youth in this comprehensive plan,” the mayor stated. “We’ve gotten a lot of young people that have given their feedback. I think that’s been encouraging and it’s been rewarding for us.”

Looking ahead, Vonderheide re-emphasized the need for regional thinking and improved connectivity to attract businesses. “We have to look more regionally than we did in the past,” he explained. “We’re going to have the companies look at us, you know, there’s a lot of places they can go with their business, and we have to work on the program that’s going to make them make this the place where they look to their future.”

The mayor concluded by encouraging residents to use the Jasper Insight app and stay connected through the city’s website, Instagram, and Facebook platforms for ongoing communication and engagement.