Letter: Who’s running our county and city councils?

The proposed Mid-States Corridor continues to be a highly contested issue. On April 27, the Dubois County Council voted 6 to 1 to withdraw from the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority (RDA). The council had intended the withdrawal to be effective immediately but, based on a last-minute opinion from the State Attorney General, requested by the RDA Board Attorney, the County’s Attorney included language in Ordinance 2026-05 to make the withdrawal effective 12 months from the date of adoption, which would be 4/27/27.

The County Council had every right to withdraw immediately as originally intended, but they allowed the County Attorney to include the extension language as part of the ordinance.

In July, when it came time for the Jasper City Council to vote on the city’s membership in the RDA, the City Attorney had three options prepared: one to continue, one to withdraw, and one to do nothing. All of the city’s options set the end date as 12/31/27. The Council voted to do nothing.

While Indiana Code §36-7.6-2-5 for the RDA required an initial 8-year minimum participation term, it was the State Attorney General, along with our County Attorney, City Attorney and the RDA Board Attorney, who randomly decided to establish a term of 10 years, then pushed the December 2027 end date. Even that is wrong because the RDA was established August 14, 2017. Therefore, 10 years would be August 14, 2027.

The Indiana Code governing RDAs requires a minimum of two counties as members, and since the Dubois County Council’s Ordinance 2026-05 established an April 2027 end date, the RDA should be dissolved at that time.

This entire game to extend the RDA’s existence is yet another example of manipulation, secrecy, and gaslighting by the RDA Board and their attorney who held a special meeting on April 15 to self-determine the “sunset” date as 12/31/27. They then gave that date to both the Dubois County Attorney and Jasper City Attorney to use in writing their ordinances.

So, the question is, who is really running the councils: the elected council members or the appointed attorneys? If the council members aren’t willing to step up against this type of manipulation, they are not representing their constituents, shouldn’t be on the council and should either be voted out or resign.

Mark Nowotarski
Dubois County Resident