From Left: Julia Leahy, Chamber Executive Director, Kamron Yates, Delphi Mayor, Mark Schock, Camden Council President, Tim Radcliff, County Council President, Vince Seward, Flora Council Finance Chair.
The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2024 State of the County, City and Towns event on Friday to provide the community with updates and information as they strive to better Carroll County as a whole.
The event kicked off with an update provided by the Town of Burlington where it was announced that the Town Hall has officially moved and numerous renovations and innovations within the town will be possible this year and well into the future due to the consistent support from county organizations and community members.
Camden Town Council President Mark Schock delivered the update for the Town of Camden where he focused on the town’s recent project where a new water filtration system project has been launched with a focus on improving the chemical injections system, replace the filtration system and install radio read meters, which is expected to save the town a large quantity of time and funds as well as improve the communication and response to leaks. The project is funded through a $700,000 grant.
Flora Town Council Finance Chair Vince Seward shared an update for the Town of Flora during the event where he focused on the introduction of new businesses into the town, the improvements of the wastewater treatment plants and the town’s aspirations to remedy its sewer ban, which was designated in 1974, upgrading electric readers, the introduction of new daycare opportunities for the community and the projects being launched to provide the town with more dwellings for the community.
Delphi Mayor Kamron Yates presented the updates for the State of the City, beginning with a discussion of the interurban apartment complex, 68 units, the Bowen Estates, 42 dwellings, and the hammons Development, 2 multi-family apartment dwellings. Yates also highlighted the Community Crossings Grant receipt of $999,750 for road projects, Police Department grant rewards and the additional of seven squad cars and a golf cart to the force, the newly formed Board of Zoning Appeals and Area Plan Commission for the city, the newly established Unified Development Ordinance, upcoming events from Delphi Main Street and much more.
County Council President Tim Radcliff highlighted the county’s updates based on the economic overview, fiscal stewardship and means to better the county as a whole. According to Radcliff, the county population around 20,749, the total regional employment is around 6,524 and the median household income is $56,900. This year, the county adopted the county general budget for 2024 as $9.4 million with a county general fund balance of $6.5 million, a rain day fund balance of $4.3 million and riverboat fund of $422,347. Radcliff focused on bettering the county by focusing on Carroll Manor, scanning and digitizing county records, focusing on employee wages to retain outstanding talent and developing a comprehensive technology plan for the county.
Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julia Leahy led the event and explained its significance to those in attendance, focusing upon the community bonding and education that comes from the annual event.
“We like to do this every year because we are your county Chamber, and we represent all of you and all of our cities and towns,” Leahy said. “This year, unfortunately, we didn’t have anybody from the Town of Yeoman to come today.”
Leahy continued to state that the county leaders in attendance, Schock, Seward, Yates and Radcliff, alongside the appearance of Burlington through a written update, was a fantastic turnout for the event in terms of speakers, and the event was reportedly sold out nearly two weeks beforehand.
“I so appreciate all of the elected officials because when I call and say, ‘hey, can you come speak to a group of people that are all very willing to come,’ (they say yes),” Leahy said. “Thank you all for that.”
Before the first update was given, Leahy led an exercise where every attendee stated their name and the organization they represent, resulting in the audience realizing teh diversity within the room. From county officials to nonprofit leaders to bank personnel to self-made entrepreneurs to parents and spouses, the room was packed with a multitude of background who gathered to hear the exciting opportunities the county, city and towns had to offer.
Stay tuned to Carroll County Daily News, Clinton County Daily News and Boone County Daily News for in-depth stories of the updates provided by each town, city and county at the State of the County, City and Towns event on Friday.