Floyd County Council votes against joining Regional Development Authority

On the day after the Clark County Council voted to join an RDA, the Floyd County Council voted 5-2 Tuesday against an ordinance to follow its neighbor's lead. Of the five counties in Southern Indiana asked to form an RDA, only Clark and Scott have voted yes. Harrison County voted against the measure Monday and Washington County is expected to vote Aug. 20. An application to the state to form an RDA is due Aug. 31.

The Regional Cities Initiative, or RCI, is a state program intended to support “quality of place” projects through regional collaboration.

The state has allocated $84 million to be split among two regions and be used for redevelopment projects that would transform those regions into more desirable places to live. Each participating county would appoint a person to an RDA board which would decide which regional projects to pursue. In order to be chosen for RCI funds, the counties’ fiscal bodies that form the region must approve the formation of an RDA, which consists of five non-elected or nongovernmental representatives appointed by the commissioners of that county.

The General Assembly passed RCI legislation in May.

Several people, the majority from Clark County, spoke against the measure Tuesday afternoon. Many cited the same reasons — giving a non-elected board the ability to enforce eminent domain and incur debt as the reason. Local governments would also be responsible for funding portions of projects approved by the RDA board, but county councils still have the final say whether or not taxpayer money could be used on a project.

"Once authority is granted to an entity [RDA board] you can't do a darn thing to change it," said Floyd County resident Joseph Moore. "This would be more of a competition [for projects], not a partnership. You would create something that could turn into a Frankenstein."

However, those in favor of the measure said there is strength in forming a regional authority, and a way to receive state money to complete projects like the Ohio River Greenway and attract new residents and job opportunities. Jerry Finn, executive director of the Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County, compared it to the decision voters had in Floyd County several years ago to accept, or reject, a casino riverboat. The voters said no, twice, and Horseshoe Southern Indiana wound up in Harrison County.

"Twice Floyd County missed the boat; they did it out of fear," Finn said. "We need to learn from the past. Don't let fear paralyze you. Look at the common good for the community."

Dana Huber said she was in favor of an RDA because "regional collaboration is important."

Councilman John Schellenberger agreed. He said by joining the RDA, Floyd County would have a better opportunity to develop the Edwardsville/Gateway area.

"This brings us together," he said. "This county needs revenue."

Schellenberger and Tom Pickett were the only two on the council to vote in favor of the ordinance to form an RDA.

Councilman Jim Wathen said he agreed with a lot of the initiative behind forming an RDA, but he said there were too many unknowns to vote in favor of the measure.

He said if the state took the $84 million, and divided it among the 92 counties, each county would receive $913,000. He said Floyd County could use $913,000 to make jail repairs and fix roads and pot holes. He said all an RDA does is form another layer of government. He compared it to another unelected board where members are appointed by the Floyd County Commissioners — the Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services Board. That board, he said, has purchased 42 doctor's offices and taken those properties off tax rolls, doing so in the best interest of Southern Indiana residents, they said.

"The RDA would operate the same way. They would say they were acting in the best interest of Southern Indiana," he said. "We can't afford this thing. It has a lot of potential but also a lot of downside."