Local officials gave updates on city and county projects, budgets and plans for the coming year during the Crawfordsville/Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s legislative lunch Thursday at Fusion 54.
Mayor Todd Barton, Crawfordsville City Councilman Stan Hamilton, Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Guard and Montgomery County Council President David Hunt spoke during the lunch and answered questions from those in attendance.
Guard gave an update on the Nucor overpass, which had been expected to go out for bids this spring. The project has now been delayed until at least September 2027.
The county also is working through its 2027 budget, with commissioners requesting an additional $700,000 for the county highway department.
“There is a gap in there that our director and the commissioners feel is missing in order to be able to do everything that we want to do, 100% of projects and funding,” Guard said.
The county also requested an additional $75,000 for code enforcement and property cleanup involving properties that are in violation of county ordinances.
Guard said the county recently completed an owner-occupied home rehabilitation program that helped 28 homes with 53 repair activities, including new HVAC systems, accessibility improvements and water heaters. Another housing and infrastructure program, READI 2.0, is also coming up with $1.1 million available for infrastructure improvements.
Hunt said county officials are still working through budget requests from department heads and will meet again next week to make adjustments before the budget is finalized.
He also pointed to improvements in county roads, saying the county’s pavement condition rating has increased significantly over the last three years.
“Mostly due to Jake’s hard work,” Hunt said of Highway Director Jake Lough. “He’s a go-getter. We’re fortunate to have him.”
Lough also was recognized during the lunch after receiving the Association of Indiana Counties’ Outstanding Highway Superintendent award for 2026.
The county received a $1 million road paving grant earlier this year from Gov. Mike Braun. The money will be used to repave C.R. 625E from C.R. 500N to State Road 32 and C.R. 600E from State Road 32 to U.S. 136.
On the city side, Barton focused much of his update on growth and what the city is doing to make Crawfordsville a place where people want to live, work and invest.
“Every community is battling for population,” Barton said. “All of the things that you want to have happen in your community are determined by who wins that battle for population.”
Barton said the city is focusing on quality of life, economic development, infrastructure, housing and retail as it works to attract and retain residents.
That includes continued investment in parks and trails, with the addition of Kathy Steele Park, rebuilding Frances Wooden Park and Lincoln Park and made major improvements at Milligan Park. Trail work is also continuing, including a trail alongside the Purple Heart Parkway extension.
Barton also highlighted efforts to retain existing businesses and attract investment, saying workforce availability has become a major concern for local employers.
The city has worked through the Workforce Alliance on issues including child care, early learning and transportation. Barton said the city’s public transportation system, Crawfordsville Area Transportation, came from recognizing transportation as a barrier for people entering the workforce.
Infrastructure work continues as well, including sewer extensions on the south side, improvements at the wastewater treatment plant and water extensions related to the future Kroger.
Kroger is expected to open in February 2027.
The city is also working on improvements to its street department facilities and plans to continue extending Purple Heart Parkway.
The Market Street railroad project is nearing the end of its planning phase, and the city has applied for a construction grant. Barton said the city expects to know by fall whether the grant is approved.
City offices are expected to move to Fusion 54 next year while the city develops a long-term plan for renovations and repairs to its nearly 100-year-old city building.
The city’s 2027 budget is also moving forward, with second and third readings expected in October. Barton said the city’s assessed value increased by $117 million this year and is expected to increase another $90 million next year.
The Youth Civic Engagement Council was also in attendance. The council includes 25 high school students from Montgomery County’s three high schools and gave the students an opportunity to ask about what the city and county are doing to improve opportunities for young people.
“We were just with two of the three school superintendents for careers, the careers of today and tomorrow, so when we spend so much time on economic development, that’s what that’s about,” Barton responded. “And it’s allowing all of our students to understand there are different pathways, right, so you may be going to four years college, you may be not going that route. We want you to be prepared and equipped to enter the workforce.”
Hamilton closed the updates by encouraging young people to consider getting involved in local government and running for city council.
“We need younger people, different ideas, different thoughts, and you need to start doing that now because the primary is six months,” Hamilton said.
