Jay County transfers three tax‑sale certificates to local economic development corporations

The Jay County Commissioners voted March 9, 2026, to transfer three tax‑sale certificates to local economic development corporations following a public hearing that produced no public comment.

Commissioners approved Resolution 2026‑05 to transfer certificates for 301 E. Bell Ave. and 19 S. Ash St., Redkey, to Redkey Economic Development Corporation Inc.; Resolution 2026‑06 to transfer the certificate for 123 N. Meridian St., Portland, to Portland Economic Development Corporation; and Resolution 2026‑07 to transfer 110 S. Broadway, Pennville, to Pennville Economic Development Corporation Inc. Each motion was moved by Commissioner Chad Aker, seconded by Commissioner Doug Horn and carried by unanimous vote.

Why it matters: Transfer of tax‑sale certificates to economic development organizations is commonly used to facilitate rehabilitation or reuse of properties that did not redeem at tax sale; the commissioners approved the transfers to local redevelopment entities rather than pursue foreclosure or county ownership.

What the record shows: The meeting minutes record that applications from nonprofit organizations were required to be submitted by March 6 and that Redkey’s application was the only one for the Redkey‑advertised properties. There were no public comments at the hearing, and the commissioners recorded approval by unanimous vote.

Next steps: The resolutions transfer the counties’ certificate interest to the named development corporations; the transcript does not include subsequent redevelopment plans or timelines from the grantees.