Jasper Council takes no action on leaving Mid-States Corridor RDA

Wednesday, the Jasper City Council voted 5-2 at the regular meeting to take no further action on its membership in the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority, allowing the RDA to terminate naturally on Dec. 31, 2027.

The council considered three options — taking no further action, voting to formally remain in the RDA through its end date, or voting to formally withdraw — but City Attorney Renee Kabrick made clear all three paths lead to the same outcome.

The Dec. 31, 2027 termination date was established by the RDA itself following an Attorney General opinion, which was sought after Dubois County initiated its own withdrawal from the RDA before any end date had been set. That earlier timeline creates a key legal distinction between the county’s situation and the city’s.

“We have a termination date. They did not,” Kabrick told the council.

Councilman Chad Lueken, who is publicly opposed to the corridor, asked whether the RDA could independently extend its membership period beyond that date. Kabrick said the legal opinion holds the answer is no, but there was no clear statute or case law to support such an extension.

In a subsequent interview, Kabrick confirmed that sometimes it is difficult to ascertain the answer to a direct question for a legal opinion in the case regarding the RDA; the Attorney General’s opinion was very clear that the regional development authority had the power to establish its termination date.

Councilman Kevin Manley also asked whether the city could exit the RDA earlier than Dec. 31, 2027. Kabrick confirmed it couldn’t, noting the termination date and applicable statutory deadlines now govern the process.

Based on this, the council decided to ride out the life of the Mid-States Corridor while continuing to utilize their services as a representative for the member entities with the Indiana Department of Transportation.

Lueken and Councilman Chad Mundy personally cast “nay” votes as a matter of principle in the issue.

The motion passed 5-2.

The Dubois County Council approved withdrawing from the RDA at the April meeting.

Spencer County Council voted to remain in the Mid-States Corridor RDA at its April meeting.

Huntingburg Common Council has not addressed the issue.