Region At Risk
Citizens seek better stewardship of financial and natural resources in St. Joseph County, Indiana.
The Open Space & Agriculture Alliance (OSAA) is a collaboration of citizens protecting farmland, open space and established communities. The OSAA opposes the diminishing of natural resources and of municipal treasury for the proposed Indiana Enterprise Center (IEC) near New Carlisle, IN. Millions of taxpayer dollars have already been spent despite no significant labor impact for the region.
The Open Space & Agriculture Alliance asserts the County should facilitate development that is sustainable, participatory, and transparent—criteria the the County has not met. The OSAA promotes constructive criticism of headstrong County spending and invites County taxpayers to weigh in.
Read more about our issues: Communities/Neighborhoods, Transparent Government, Natural Resources/Farmland, and Job Creation/Responsible Development.
Financial report just released
The Proposed Indiana Enterprise Center: The Risks and Alternatives to an Outdated Economic Development Model
Follow the money—your money.
This report provides data on how taxpayer dollars have been spent on the IEC to date, and what the public has gotten out of that investment.
The report discusses a new vision for economic development for the county. That new vision recognizes that development must provide benefits to area residents and improve their quality of life; that farmland is not vacant space, but rather the location of legitimate economic activity; and that development must be shaped by the needs and concerns of the people, current and future, who will be impacted.
Get involved.
Sign up here if you want to receive email updates or to volunteer.
Issues
Communities/
Neighborhoods
The well-being of communities across St. Joseph County are affected as funds are siphoned for the IEC projected. If you live in SJC, you’re taking a hit.
Transparent
Government
The County funds the IEC despite lack of public support. The County needs more transparency as described at this link.
Natural Resources/
Farmland
From the regional aquifer below to the night sky overhead and all the wildlife in between, the IEC puts extensive resources at risk.
Job Creation/
Responsible Development
Despite having spent millions of dollars, the County has not identified significant impact to the labor market. Regional brownfield sites are available for redevelopment, yet the IEC prioritizes paving over productive agricultural land.
About Us
The St. Joseph County Open Space and Agricultural Alliance, a grassroots citizens group, is working to change the priorities of the county’s governing bodies so that they protect farmland and natural areas from development instead of targeting them for development.
Contact
Every citizen deserves a role in determining how government expenditures influence their future well-being. Please let us know what you want to bring to the dialogue. Thanks for sharing your talents, interests, and vision.
Voices
Advocates have included citizens attending public hearings, writers to community newspapers, commenters on social media, voters on video conferences, and neighbors talking to each other about living our values. Here are examples in print.
Understanding County Government
Indiana Enterprise Center (IEC)
How does the County pitch the IEC? What is its public face or website? Do you agree with this marketing and development?
St. Joseph County Finances
What has the County spent and what does it expect as a return on investment? What are TIFs and what role do they have ? Does the IEC make fiscal sense?
St. Joseph County Government
The County government has a Council and three Commissioners. How are their different interests driving the IEC? What is the IPG and the Redevelopment Commission?