St. Joseph County Council

The St. Joseph County Council-passed zoning change would force solar developers to compensate property owners within a mile if their property values decline after a solar farm starts operating.

Republican Dan Schaetzle's bill, passed by the St. Joseph County Council July 8, requires solar farm developers to compensate property owners within a mile if their property values decline after the solar panels are installed.

The council voted along party lines, 5-4 Republican, to eliminate all references to "affirmative action" and racial minority hiring practices from the county's 17-year-old property tax abatement ordinance.

St. Joseph County Council Republicans Amy Drake and Andy Rutten say its time for the county to follow the Supreme Court's and Trump administration's leads on ending affirmative action.

St. Joseph County Council President Dan Schaetzle insists he remains a Republican but the local and now state party disagree, saying he's no longer "in good standing" for at least two years.

St. Joseph County parks bought the Anderson Road farmland in 1999 when Granger was growing rapidly but had never found the money to develop a park there.

The county bought the land at Anderson and Beech roads in 2000 for a park but has never earmarked money to develop it.

St. Joseph County Council Republicans say the county's $35 million in cash reserves aren't a "slush fund" for deficit spending as state-mandated property tax cuts reduce county revenue next year by a projected $5 million

St. Joseph County is now one of 84 counties in Indiana to allow off-road vehicles (ORVs) on unincorporated county roads.

The St. Joseph County Council Tuesday night will consider a resolution formally giving the council president power to remove meeting agenda items.