(Greensburg, IN) – Jeremy Pasel has announced he is seeking re-election as Decatur County Commissioner for District 2, pointing to transparency, infrastructure investment and long-term planning as the cornerstones of his first term in office.
Pasel, a Republican, said his re-election bid is rooted in fulfilling the campaign promises he made when first elected in 2022.
“Today, I would like to announce that I am running for reelection as your county commissioner in District 2,” Pasel said in a campaign video. “I want to talk about the promises I made and how I’ve worked to execute on those things over the last three years.”
Pasel and his family moved to Decatur County in 2017 and live outside St. Paul. A deputy prosecutor for more than a decade, Pasel currently serves in Shelby County while continuing his work as commissioner.
One of Pasel’s primary themes has been transparency in county government. He noted that before 2023, all commissioner meetings were held during standard business hours.
“That’s a terrible time for folks who work a regular job to attend,” he said. Since taking office, Pasel said the county now holds half of its meetings in the evening, allowing broader public participation.
He also cited the creation of a countywide Facebook page and the live-streaming of public meetings as steps toward what he called “unprecedented access” to local government. Pasel said he regularly responds to constituent calls and messages personally, often leading to in-person meetings.
“When you call me or text me, you get a call back,” he said. “It’s the way I like to do business.”
Pasel also emphasized efforts to protect the character of Decatur County, particularly regarding alternative energy development. He supported a moratorium passed by the commissioners to allow time for updates to the county’s comprehensive plan, last completed in 2017.
“Technology and industry change, and we have to be able to keep up,” Pasel said. The pause, he said, allows for public workshops and ordinance reviews to ensure future development reflects current community priorities.
He also highlighted the county’s adoption of a biosolids ordinance, which regulates the application of certain waste products on agricultural land, and the launch of a blight project aimed at improving health and safety conditions on private property.
On economic development, Pasel pointed to investments designed to attract visitors and encourage families to remain in or return to the county. Among them is the $1.8 million ball diamond project, with the county contributing $300,000.
“In the first year alone, we saw about 175,000 people visit our ball diamonds,” Pasel said, adding that visiting teams bring revenue to local hotels, restaurants and gas stations.
He also cited plans for a new community building at the Decatur County Fairgrounds and progress toward restoring a public pool, projects he said help make the county attractive to young families.
Fiscal responsibility was another major focus. Pasel said Decatur County conducted its first-ever financial analyses in 2024 and 2025, using projections prepared by Baker Tilly to guide decision-making.
“It’s hard to make big decisions when you don’t know what your revenue will look like five or 10 years down the road,” he said.
Those analyses helped launch a long-range planning committee to assess county assets, from buildings and HVAC systems to roads, bridges and highway equipment.
Road funding has been a frequent topic among residents, and Pasel said the county has invested more than $5.38 million in roads during his three years in office, covering more than 200 miles of paving or chip-and-seal work—roughly one-third of the county’s roadway system.
Pasel said the county is also exploring ways to complete more road work in-house to stretch taxpayer dollars further.
Pasel is seeking re-election in the May primary and encouraged residents to reach out with questions.
“I would ask for your vote again this May,” he said. “This job has its challenges, but I’ve enjoyed getting to know so many people in Decatur County.”
