The Harrison County Council Monday night (Oct. 23) voted to put off a decision to join the Regional Development Authority for two years, with a 4-2-1 vote.

Councilmembers Kyle Nix, Gary Byrne, Donnie Hussung and Holli Casttetter voted in favor of the motion to effectively not join the soon-to-be-created Regional Development Authority among Floyd, Clark, Washington, Scott and Jefferson counties, by waiting two years to see what legislation comes about regarding RDAs and to see it in operation.

Council Chair Gary Davis and Councilwoman Jennie Capelle voted against, and councilman Sam Day abstained.

"We'll revisit it at a time when we'll know what we're getting in to," Nix said.

Nix had reservations about the lack of a guarantee of board representation from Harrison County, and he spoke of a dislike for the word "authority" and the connotations that come with it.

From his research, Nix said, it wouldn't be difficult to join the RDA at a later date.

Darrell Voelker, executive director of the Harrison County Economic Development Corp., said it would be strictly up to the RDA board to allow a county to join later.

"Certainly, they do not have to accept you," he said.

Davis said if the county wanted to get in "on the ground floor," now was the time to do it because it will be created, with or without Harrison County, in the coming days or weeks.

The Chamber of Commerce of Harrison County, the Harrison County Economic Development Corp. and the Harrison County Community Foundation boards encouraged Harrison County to join the Our Southern Indiana RDA.

Chamber president Lisa Long, in a letter of support for the RDA, said there are important issues — such as the opioid crisis, workforce shortages and infrastructure — affecting businesses where closer inter-county regional cooperation is needed.

"This would be a great way to formally start that multi-county process to meeting our regional challenges," she said. "Additionally, Gov. Holcomb and the Indiana legislature continue to allocate millions of our tax dollars to programs within RDAs. Seventy percent of all Hoosiers now live in an RDA. By not being part of an RDA, we guarantee our tax dollars will not stay in Harrison County."

She said the RDA is important, as a Southern Indiana resident invested in seeing the businesses and residents grow and flourish, and the RDA can jumpstart an economic development boom in the region that could last for decades.

Larry Shickles, president of the county's parks board and former GOP county and Ninth District committee chairman, took to the podium Monday night to make a case against the county joining the RDA.

"For 25 years, I've been involved in either some level of county government or local party leadership, served on state committee, district ... " Shickles said. "I've never stood at this podium to oppose anything ... Tonight, I'm here to, for the first time, to stand up and say that you're being misled. You're being led down a road to make a decision tonight that is extremely premature and you all have reservations."

Shickles referenced the federal government's Affordable Care Act and how they took a "pass it and read it later" approach.

If the county was to join the RDA, it could not get out for eight years, he said, and the idea that only counties within an RDA will get economic development funding from the state is wrong.

"The legislators won't allow it," he said. "That theory is invalid."

Shickles said Clark and Floyd counties had opportunities to have a riverboat.

He said State Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, wasn't satisfied and will continue to try to get the riverboat moved or have the money re-allocated away from Harrison County.

If the county were to join the RDA, Shickles said, in 2019 a bill will be passed to use the county's riverboat money to fund the RDA.

"I can tell you Rep. (Karen) Engleman (R-Georgetown) will have no defense," he said. "We won't be able to protect it because they'll say Harrison County will benefit. ... I've seen this done before."

He went on to say the RDA doesn't need Harrison County to be formed.

"Or, do you bring a checkbook to the table?" Shickles asked.

Shickles questioned why the county would want to get involved with Clark or Floyd counties that have had financial issues recently.

"Darrell, do you have a rebuttal?" Davis asked after Shickles stepped down.

"Well, it's not a rebuttal," he said. "I wouldn't dare try to address all of that.

"The only way to fund projects, it's very clear; let's go by what's written ... not what might hypothetically be approved two years from now by state legislature," Voelker said. "What's on paper says that any projects, the county will go through its regular ... method of approving funding."

Voelker also said the legislature tries to take the county's riverboat money every year.

"It's an opportunity to partner with our region to provide resources that can't be done without being a region," he said of the RDA, mentioning form after form he fills out that asks if the county is a part of a region.

Nix reiterated the county can continue to work with its neighbors without joining the RDA.

Davis said Shickles spoke only about "what ifs" and said he supported the regional effort two years ago and still does today.

The RDA legislation was established by the legislature and lays out specific requirements for joining and belonging, Davis said.

"Anything else that Larry said, 'well, what if the legislature does this or what if they do something else, what if,' it's all conjecture," he said. "It bothers me continually that every time we have one of these discussions, Kyle (Nix) says, 'Well, I support regional planning but I don't want to join the RDA.' ... It's simple; if you're in favor of regional planning, then you ought to vote to join the RDA."

"I'm for regionalism," Nix responded. "I'm not for another layer of government, as a conservative person. I was put here to help make decisions for the people that elected me to be here, not get told what I am and am not going to do by a board that doesn't have a representative from here for us when it comes to economic development."

As for the concern over state legislature, Davis said the county will always have that problem.

"The state can take away anything any time they want," Davis said. "They might take all of it (riverboat money)."

Harrison County joined Clark and Floyd counties in rejecting the creation of an RDA in 2015. Now, however, those two counties, along with the three others, have approved the RDA, which will be created in the coming weeks. One reason for the change of heart was the removal of the RDA's ability to use eminent domain.

Wendy Dant Chesser, One Southern Indiana's chief executive officer, said having an RDA in place will not only focus conversation around regional growth and opportunities, but it is a vehicle that the state may recognize for additional funding.

"We want to be better prepared if and when the state announces additional Regional Cities funding or other programs that are to be benefiting a region," she told Inside INdiana Business in July. "We wanted to be at the table ... "

Three regions were selected in 2015 to receive up to $42 million in matching support from the state for quality-of-life focused projects.