Local leaders are proud of what their communities accomplished in 2024, they say.
They’re also excited and hopeful for what 2025 will bring.
The Daily Journal reached out to the leaders of nearly every Johnson County community or government to ask them two questions: What were their community’s biggest accomplishments in 2024 and what do they hope for their community in 2025. The responses will be published in two parts, with the second running in the Thursday paper.
Here’s what government leaders had to say:
What are your community’s biggest accomplishments of 2024?
Greenwood
The Madison tops Mayor Mark Myers’ list of accomplishments for Greenwood. The $83 million redevelopment of the 19-acre former middle school property located along Madison Avenue, was officially completed in October. It is a public-private partnership between the city and a developer, features apartments, townhomes and the first city-owned parking garage.
“Getting that completed, and the rapid filling of the facility has been something very huge that has really helped the downtown area,” Mark Myers said.
Another top accomplishment for Mark Myers is the reconstruction of Market Plaza. For about $1.5 million the project reconstructed Market Plaza from Pleasant Creek Bridge to Madison Avenue. Wider sidewalks were added, along with updated stormwater infrastructure and lighting, a new retaining wall, crosswalks, landscaping and street parking.
“All of those things are going to bring more people into the downtown area and give them that sense of safety that they have not had in forever,” Mark Myers said. “And I drive by it every day. I look at it; it looks beautiful. I’m very, very happy that we did that.”
Franklin
Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett said he was most proud of the city finishing work on Graham Road and roundabouts at Earlywood Drive and Graham Road and at Paul Hand Boulevard and Graham Road. Barnett is particularly proud of the Paul Hand Boulevard and Graham Road roundabout because it was built in partnership with Whiteland and Johnson County.
Another accomplishment, focused on quality of life, was the addition of pickleball courts in Community Park.
“It was a small park, still a small park, but it was underutilized. We hardly ever saw anybody there. … Now in the summer months when you drive by, that park is busy all the time,” Barnett said. “So, I think for quality of life, that was a huge thing for this year.”
The city also completed the renovation of Fire Station 21, a project that had been in the works for eight years, Barnett said.
Johnson County
One of the most notable accomplishments for the county is the continuing construction of a new behavioral health center, said Brian Baird, county commissioner. The $11 million behavioral health center is being constructed next to Johnson Memorial Health’s existing Franklin campus and is expected to be completed in early 2025.
County officials this year opened a new health department and coroner’s office building. Baird is also proud of the still-in-progress virtual reality training center for the sheriff’s office and community corrections building.
Recreationally, Baird said there have been improvements to the county park and camping area, like a new camp store and office building. Baird said future goals for the park include building a banquet facility in the spring and future projects for Hoosier Horse Park.
“What we’ve accomplished in the last 10 years has been amazing and we’ve done it all living within the means, so we don’t stress the taxpayer with what we’re doing and things we are doing are going to help even more down the road,” Baird said.
Bargersville
2024 was a year of firsts for Bargersville — they held their first concert series, the Merry & Bright Christmas light contest, and introduced a walking club and a new park food truck program this year, said parks director Kris Wilson.
Some of Bargersville’s accomplishments in 2024 include finishing touches on Bargersville’s five-year master plan, the nearing completion of Umbarger Plaza and increasing connectivity of the town. The completion of a new 1-mile walking trail around South Central Soccer Association marked 11 total miles of trails in the town.
In January, Bargersville officials heard from residents about their unmet needs and desires at an open house-style public meeting where attendees expressed interest in connectivity and green spaces. Umbarger Plaza is a great example of the culmination that Bargersville officials have strived for, said Dax Norton, town manager.
Edinburgh
One of the biggest accomplishments for Edinburgh was completing and approving a new comprehensive plan, said John Myers, town manager. The plan was approved in November and includes recommendations like creating a Utilities Master Plan, establishing a Main Street group, launching a youth task force, upgrading amenities, creating a parks board and Five-Year Parks and Recreation Master Plan and making a public green space.
Other achievements include opening a new water plant and demolishing the Thompson Mill Dam.
“They’re all equal. They were big projects, and the dam was sentimental to a lot of people and that was a big thing and a hard thing to make a decision on for the town,” he said.
The Thompson Mill Dam had been around since 1884 but hadn’t been operational since the Thompson Mill closed in 1957. After the dam burst in October 2023, the Edinburgh Town Council determined demolishing the structure was the best course of action and the structure was demolished in October.
Another accomplishment was the town council approving a new subdivision dubbed Castle Rock. The development will include about 850 homes on 288 acres east of U.S. 31 and north of State Road 252, alongside an additional 25 acres planned to be donated to the town for a park and a 20-acre commercial area to be built along U.S. 31. Myers said the housing development is expected to break ground in 2025.
Whiteland
One of the big projects that Whiteland officials focused on in 2024 was a needed utility rate study, which wrapped up by the end of the year. The new study led to the town changing its water rates after receiving large rate increases from Indiana American Water, said Carmen Young, the town’s director of administration.
Whiteland also established a parks board, which will kick off work in 2025. The first task for the board will be to create a parks master plan, which is like a comprehensive plan but is “drilled down” specifically to quality-of-life initiatives, Young said.
In 2024, the town also hosted a Community Clean Up Day with New Whiteland, had the fire department move back into their station and moved the farmer’s market from town hall to the Johnson County Public Library Clark Pleasant branch. Young said the town had 35 vendors and an estimated 3,500 visitors this past summer at the farmer’s market.
Whiteland officials are also working to replace a sanitary lift station, which Young said should be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
Trafalgar
Trafalgar and its officials have had an “extremely productive” year, said Bryan Gregg, town manager. The town saw growth with four new businesses, additional residential units and new building standards, he said.
Officials hope to make Trafalgar an even better place for people to raise families in 2025.
For years, Trafalgar was a place where change was rare — outdated ordinances went untouched, and oversights cost the town both time and money, said Jessica Jones, town council vice president. Council members have recently worked to tackle long-overdue issues, like building standards, drainage issues and more. The progress has been amazing to see, Jones said in a Facebook post.
Hiring its first-ever town manager has been a “game-changer,” for the town, she said. The town manager’s position has brought efficiency and focus to help the council address challenges and make more informed decisions, she said.
Learning and growth within the town positions and between council members has been a priority for Trafalgar this year. They have encouraged staff to pursue certifications in wastewater, water management and other vital areas to help serve the community.
Building relationships with surrounding communities has been another big focus for Trafalgar, Jones said.
Town officials have also worked to strengthen ties with the county, Indian Creek schools and other government services.
“These partnerships are making a real difference and I’m so excited about what the future holds,” Jones said.
New Whiteland
The biggest accomplishment for New Whiteland was the approval of Pleasant Creek, a new housing edition near the wastewater treatment plan, said John Perrin, town council president.
“I think it’ll have an effect tax-wise. It’ll help everybody because when you add 400 more houses, then that helps the tax burden on everybody else. So, I think that’ll be the biggest thing,” he said.
First Responders Memorial at the park in December, which honors the memory of all first responders and veterans from Johnson County who have died in the line of duty.
“Mary Beth [Alspach] was huge in that, she kind of took that bull by the horns and made it happen,” Perrin said. “But there was a little over $120,000 invested in changes to the park and none of it came from the taxpayers. It was all donations, people donating product, in-kind services and the contractors that got involved with it.”
Daily Journal news editor Noah Crenshaw and reporters Elissa Maudlin and Jayden Kennett contributed to this report.