Council declines to amend RDA withdrawal ordinance, citing statutory timeline

The council took no action Monday on a request to amend a previously passed ordinance governing the county’s withdrawal from the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority (RDA), after members said legal advice indicated the withdrawal must follow a timeline set by state statute rather than take effect immediately.

The council had already passed Ordinance 2026-05 authorizing withdrawal from the RDA in 12 months from its passage.

Council president Mike Kluesner opened up discussion with the council to consider a request from the Property Rights Alliance to amend that ordinance to make the withdrawal immediate, according to a letter the council received and forwarded to members.

Councilman Mike Stallman said he had consulted with the county council’s attorney and the City of Jasper’s attorney, and that both agreed the withdrawal must follow the timeline laid out in state statute — that there was no option to disregard it.

Councilman Alex Hohl asked for clarification on a prior opinion from the Indiana Attorney General’s office regarding the timeline.

According to the opinion from Todd Rokita’s office, state law sets a minimum eight-year membership term for regional development authorities but does not set a maximum, according to an AG opinion issued in March. Because the statute contemplates a renewal or withdrawal process at the end of a member’s initial term, the Attorney General’s office advised the RDA to adopt its own initial maximum membership period — recommending at least 10 years to avoid running up against the statutory renewal window.

The Mid-States Corridor RDA, whose members include Spencer County, Dubois County, the City of Huntingburg and the City of Jasper, was formed April 14, 2017. Following the AG opinion, the RDA set its sunset date for December 2027. Under the statute, members must formally recommit to or withdraw from the RDA between 12 and 18 months before that end date — a window that has now opened.

With no member making a motion to amend the withdrawal ordinance, the matter died for lack of a motion, and the council moved on to discussion of the 2027 budget preparation process.

The City of Jasper Common Council declined to take any action to withdraw from the RDA at its last meeting. Spencer County Council approved remaining a member of the RDA in April, and the City of Huntingburg has not made any decision regarding membership.