The City of Jasper, Indiana

“We can have no progress without change…in basketball or anything else.”

John Wooden, Legendary Hoosier

This spring I have delivered my annual State of the City address to several audiences and emphasized our positive approach to governance:

• We have involved the public in decision-making to a higher degree
• We have involved the best people –our talented staff or other professionals
• We have welcomed and encouraged adoption and employment of economic incentives already used by other Indiana cities and counties for many years
• We have employed our Economic Development Income Taxes (EDIT) funds towards more formal economic development

This approach lead to many accomplishments and I wish to thank our staff, the many citizens who serve on boards, commissions and committees as well as other elected officials for enabling these 14 successes in 2014: 

• Jasper is on the road to a $7M privately-financed fiber optics buildout
• More than $40M new investment and more than 400 new jobs have occurred due to the tax abatement program
• Our first TIF district was established
• 142 acres in the city limits received official Indiana Shovel-ready site designation
• The former JOFCO plant will be repurposed into 67 workforce housing units through a $12M private investment and city support
• The power plant lawsuit was settled
• The 3^rd Avenue water and street project was completed
• We will be opening our first ever dog park this spring
• A Unified Development Ordinance is in the works to establish future planning
• The Jasper Police Department hired its first Hispanic officer and began sharing an officer with the Greater Jasper Consolidate Schools
• We were re-certified in the INSHARP^® safety program
• The Jasper Arts Department set strategy to bring arts downtown
• New residential and industrial construction permits are trending upward
• The first year of our Strategic Stormwater Initiative was completed.

Mayor Seitz