Dubois County Votes to Withdraw From Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority

Dubois County voted nearly unanimously March 30 to leave the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority, but officials learned during the meeting that withdrawal takes 12 to 18 months to take effect, keeping the county tethered to the regional planning body through much of the project's active study phase.

The timeline surprised at least one council member. Brad Hochgesang said he was "a little caught off guard that, by the fact that the withdrawal appears to only take effect in 12 to 18 months instead of immediate," signaling that some elected officials had expected a cleaner break when they cast their votes.

The near-unanimous result, with only one council member dissenting, reflected constituent sentiment that dominated public comment. Julie Schultz addressed the council after the vote and told members: "81 percent of those who voted for you to represent them do not want this corridor. You are their voice." That figure cast the decision as a democratic mandate rather than a procedural housekeeping matter.

Not every council member found the path straightforward. Deena Lewis acknowledged the difficulty, telling colleagues: "It has been hard for me. Both sides. I needed good reasons on both sides. It is going down a path for me that is not clear."

Huntingburg Mayor Denny Spinner pushed back, urging the council to reconsider severing ties with the authority. "The RDA is a positive way to address current and future economic and development issues in rural counties across our state," Spinner said, arguing that withdrawal would cost Dubois County its seat at the table in regional transportation and development decisions.

That argument points to what is actually at stake. The RDA serves as the local governance vehicle through which Dubois County has coordinated with INDOT, shaped alignment decisions, and pursued funding tied to the proposed highway. The corridor project, which Dubois County has been involved with since 2017, is currently in a Tier 2 study phase that determines route alignment and access points for any new highway. A county outside the RDA structure must engage INDOT through different channels and would need to negotiate new intergovernmental arrangements to maintain a formal voice in that process.

Whether withdrawal also affects Dubois County's eligibility for transportation-linked economic development funding tied to the corridor remains an open question. INDOT has not clarified publicly how the county's exit affects Tier 2 work or how property owners in the proposed corridor area will be represented in alignment decisions during the 12-to-18-month transition.

The county council must now move through legal and administrative steps to formalize the withdrawal while tracking whether INDOT adjusts its approach to Dubois County's participation in the ongoing study.