Ind. Code ch. 36-7.7-3

Ind. Code ch. 36-7.7-3
in effect

Ind. Code § 36-7.7-3-1 Establishment; members

Sec. 1. (a) In order to establish a development authority under this article, the fiscal bodies of a combination of any two (2) or more counties or municipalities described in subsection (b) must adopt substantially similar resolutions to adopt a preliminary development plan prepared under section 3 of this chapter for the development authority. (b) A development authority may be established by any of the following: (1) One (1) or more counties and one (1) or more adjacent counties. (2) One (1) or more counties and one (1) or more municipalities in adjacent counties. (3) One (1) or more municipalities and one (1) or more municipalities in adjacent counties. (c) If a development authority is established under subsection (a), the development authority shall promptly notify the Indiana economic development corporation of the establishment of the development authority by submitting a copy of the preliminary development plan to the Indiana economic development corporation. (d) When a county establishes a development authority under subsection (a) with another unit, any municipality in the county does not also become a member of the development authority, unless the fiscal body of the municipality also adopts the preliminary development plan prepared under section 3 of this chapter for the development authority. (e) A county or municipality may become a member of the development authority under this section only if the county or municipality is not a member of a development authority under IC 36-7.6. If a county or municipality is a member of another development authority established under IC 36-7.6, the county or municipality must withdraw its membership in that development authority before the county's or municipality's adoption of a preliminary development plan under subsection (a). A county or municipality may be a member of only one (1) development authority. (f) If not already members, Marion County and the city of Indianapolis are required to join the central Indiana regional development authority if sixty percent (60%) or more of the eligible political subdivisions located within the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson Metropolitan Statistical Area as defined by the United States Census Bureau become members of the central Indiana regional development authority. If Marion County and the city of Indianapolis are required to become members of the central Indiana regional development authority under this subsection, Marion County and the city of Indianapolis do not incur any financial obligation because of the fact they have become members of the central Indiana regional development authority. Marion County or the city of Indianapolis can incur a financial obligation in relation to the central Indiana regional development authority only by voluntarily entering into an agreement to undertake the financial obligation. (g) Notwithstanding any other law, any of the following governmental units may immediately withdraw from the development authority to which they belong in order to join the central Indiana regional development authority: (1) The city of Westfield. (2) The city of Carmel. (3) The city of Greenwood. (4) Marion County. As added by P.L.83-2020, SEC.2.

Ind. Code § 36-7.7-3-2 Purposes

Sec. 2. A development authority established under this chapter is a separate body corporate and politic that shall carry out the purposes of this article by: (1) acquiring, constructing, equipping, owning, and financing projects and facilities to or for the benefit of eligible political subdivisions under this article; and (2) funding and developing: (A) airport authority projects; (B) commuter transportation district and other rail projects and services; (C) regional transportation authority projects and services; (D) economic development projects; (E) intermodal transportation projects; (F) regional trail or greenway projects; (G) regional transportation infrastructure projects under IC 36-9-43; and (H) any other capital infrastructure project that enhances the region with the goal of attracting people or business; that are of regional importance. As added by P.L.83-2020, SEC.2.

Ind. Code § 36-7.7-3-3 Preliminary strategic economic development plan

Sec. 3. Units that wish to establish a development authority under this chapter must prepare and adopt a preliminary strategic economic development plan that includes provisions and general information concerning the following: (1) The participating members of the development authority. (2) The membership of the strategy committee under section 5 of this chapter. (3) A timeline for submitting the comprehensive development plan under section 4 of this chapter. (4) A strategy for attracting (or any projected) investments, grants, matching funds, or local tax revenue. As added by P.L.83-2020, SEC.2.

Ind. Code § 36-7.7-3-4 Comprehensive strategic economic development plan; contents

Sec. 4. (a) A development authority established under this chapter shall prepare a comprehensive strategic economic development plan to serve as a roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy, establish regional goals and objectives, develop and implement a regional action plan, identify ways to eliminate duplicative government services within the region, and identify investment priorities and funding sources. (b) The comprehensive development plan must incorporate and comply with the requirements and content for comprehensive economic development strategies under 13 CFR 303.7 and be developed with broad based and diverse community participation, and may contain the following: (1) An analysis of economic and community development problems and opportunities including incorporation of any relevant material or suggestions from other government sponsored or supported plans. (2) A background and history of the economic development situation of the region, with a discussion of the economy, including as appropriate, geography, population, labor force, resources, and the environment. (3) A discussion of community participation in the planning efforts. (4) Identification of particular strengths or assets that can be leveraged for economic benefit and goals and objectives for taking advantage of those strengths and assets to solve the economic development problems of the region. (5) A plan of action, including suggested projects, to achieve the goals and objectives. (6) Performance measures to be used to evaluate whether and to what extent goals and objectives have been or are being met. (7) Strategies for: (A) ensuring access to affordable health care; (B) ensuring access to affordable child care; (C) establishing workforce pipelines for those exiting recovery and reentry programs; (D) recreation and entertainment; (E) coordinating with local businesses to ensure the supply of high technology or high demand job apprenticeships; (F) leveraging technology to improve delivery of government services; (G) eliminating duplicative government services within the region; (H) increasing the supply of affordable homes and other housing; (I) building connectivity between the business community and local schools; (J) incentivizing or attracting out-of-state residents and businesses to relocate to the region; and (K) branding and marketing the region as a means to recruit and retain businesses and people. (8) Data analyses of other workforce and quality of place measures including, without limitation, detailed information for the most recent three (3) year period for which data is available for the following: (A) Workforce availability compared to job postings. (B) Commercial and industrial electricity prices. (C) Local road and infrastructure spending. (D) Access to fixed broadband and mobile connectivity meeting Federal Communications Commission standards for businesses and residents. (E) Total employment in firms that are zero (0) to five (5) years old. (F) Net job creation in firms that are zero (0) to five (5) years old. (G) Net job creation in firms that are more than five (5) years old. (H) Venture capital invested. (I) Summary of the region's health related metrics including the following: (i) Adult smoking rate. (ii) Adult obesity rate. (iii) Drug related deaths. (9) The proposed projects and programs to be undertaken or financed by the development authority. (10) The following information for each project and program included under subdivision (9): (A) Timeline and budget. (B) The return on investment. (C) The projected or expected need for an ongoing subsidy. (D) Any projected or expected federal matching funds. As added by P.L.83-2020, SEC.2.

Ind. Code § 36-7.7-3-5 Strategy committee; members; compensation

Sec. 5. (a) A development authority established under this chapter is governed by a strategy committee. (b) A strategy committee is composed of members according to the terms of the preliminary development plan adopted by the fiscal bodies of development authority members under section 1 of this chapter. (c) The removal of a member and the filling of a vacancy on the strategy committee shall be made according to the terms of the development authority preliminary development plan. (d) Each member of a strategy committee, before entering upon the duties of office, must take and subscribe an oath of office under IC 5-4-1, which shall be endorsed upon the certificate of appointment and filed with the records of the investment board. (e) A member of a strategy committee is not entitled to receive any compensation for performance of the member's duties. As added by P.L.83-2020, SEC.2.

Ind. Code § 36-7.7-3-6 Chair; officers

Sec. 6. (a) In January of each year, a strategy committee shall hold an organizational meeting at which the strategy committee shall elect the following officers from the members of the strategy committee: (1) A chair. (2) A vice chair. (3) A secretary-treasurer. (b) The affirmative vote of at least a majority of the members of the strategy committee is necessary to elect an officer under subsection (a). (c) An officer elected under subsection (a) serves from the date of the officer's election until the officer's successor is elected and qualified. As added by P.L.83-2020, SEC.2.

Ind. Code § 36-7.7-3-7 Meetings; quorum; affirmative votes

Sec. 7. (a) A strategy committee shall meet at least quarterly. (b) The chair of a strategy committee or any two (2) members of a strategy committee may call a special meeting of the strategy committee. (c) A majority of the appointed members of a strategy committee constitutes a quorum. (d) The affirmative votes of at least a majority of the appointed members of a strategy committee are necessary to authorize any action of the strategy committee. As added by P.L.83-2020, SEC.2.

Ind. Code § 36-7.7-3-8 Bylaws and rules

Sec. 8. A strategy committee shall adopt the bylaws and rules that the strategy committee considers necessary for the proper conduct of the strategy committee's duties and the safeguarding of the development authority's funds and property. As added by P.L.83-2020, SEC.2.

Ind. Code § 36-7.7-3-9 Membership

Sec. 9. (a) Only one (1) development authority may be established under this article. However, a county or municipality described in subsection (b) may join a development authority established under section 1 of this chapter if the fiscal body of the county or municipality: (1) adopts an ordinance authorizing the county or municipality to become a member of the development authority; and (2) adopts a substantially similar resolution to adopt the preliminary development plan of the development authority as set forth under section 1 of this chapter. A development authority shall notify the Indiana economic development corporation promptly in writing when a new member joins the development authority. (b) The following counties or municipalities may join a development authority established under section 1 of this chapter: (1) In the case of a county, a county that is adjacent to a county that: (A) is a member of the development authority; or (B) contains a member of the development authority. (2) In the case of a municipality, a municipality that is located in a county that: (A) is a member of the development authority; (B) is adjacent to a county that is a member of the development authority; or (C) is adjacent to a county containing a member of the development authority. As added by P.L.83-2020, SEC.2.

Ind. Code § 36-7.7-3-10 Membership term

Sec. 10. A county or municipality that establishes or joins a development authority under this chapter shall be a member of the development authority for not less than five (5) years or until the expiration of this article. As added by P.L.83-2020, SEC.2.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://iga.in.gov/laws/2026/ic/titles/36Fetched: 10/17/2026