Dubois County Council advances ordinance to withdraw from Mid-States Corridor RDA, sets required second reading

The Dubois County Council on March 30 voted 6-1 to advance Ordinance 2026-05, which would withdraw Dubois County from the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority effective 12 months after the ordinance is adopted. The measure will receive a required second reading before the council can give final approval.

The motion to advance the ordinance was made by Councilmember Doug Uebelhor and seconded by Councilmember Alex P. Hohl; Councilmember Deena J. Lewis cast the lone dissenting vote. President Michael W. Kluesner presided over the meeting at the Dubois County Annex.

The ordinance text, entered into the record during the meeting, cites Indiana Code § 36-7.6-2-5 and notes the county satisfied the minimum eight-year membership term. That statute requires a county to adopt an ordinance committing to an additional eight-year membership or to withdraw at least 12 months, and not more than 18 months, before the end of the county’s membership period.

Local reaction at the meeting was mixed. Julie Schutz, a Jasper resident who spoke during public comment, said she supported the withdrawal and told the council that "81% of the public does not want the Mid-States Corridor." Jason McCoy, a Jasper business owner, said he believes the corridor project "is over" and thanked the legislature for "shutting this road down." By contrast, Bill Kaiser, legal counsel for the RDA, urged caution, saying the authority "has represented the County and doesn’t make decisions for the County" and that withdrawing would not necessarily stop the corridor project; he also cited a Tier 1 study he said identified a solution for congestion on U.S. 231.

Why it matters: Indiana law sets a narrow window for counties to commit to or withdraw from regional development authorities; the council’s vote to advance withdrawal starts the process that—if finalized after the required second reading—would remove the county from the RDA after the specified 12-month period. Supporters of remaining in the RDA argued the authority is a tool to help address long-standing infrastructure and connectivity issues, while opponents raised concerns about local impacts, transparency of donor funding, and whether funds were spent on road improvements.

The ordinance will return to the council for a second reading at the next regular meeting, currently scheduled for April 27, 2026. If the council finalizes the ordinance at that time, the withdrawal would take effect 12 months after adoption.

Authorities referenced in the meeting include Indiana Code § 36-7.6-2-5, cited in the ordinance text as governing the timing and conditions for county membership in a regional development authority.