FRANKFORT — Jordan Brewer, president of the Clinton County Commissioners, says the city made its own decision on the proposed AI data center in Frankfort. He also said the courthouse renovation is now behind schedule because outdated plumbing has to be replaced.
Brewer was the guest on Party Line on Friday, Oct. 2. The program airs on WILO, Boone 102.7 FM and Hoosierland TV.
Data center a city decision
Brewer was one of the county officials who voted against the prior DataOne data center proposal, which is also called an “AI factory,” when it came before the county. Commissioner Brewer was asked what he thought of the Frankfort City Council’s recent vote to move forward with the project.
“Good luck to the city on that,” Brewer said. “We all make our decisions independently.”
He said he believed he was open and clear about his position during the county process. He said his vote came down to the people involved. “It was the people that I just never trusted or felt like would be good business partners in the future,” he said. He added that the city project seems to involve “kind of the same conglomerate of companies” from what he has read, but he has never met with them.
Brewer said no one connected to the data center has contacted him. As far as he knows, no one has contacted other county officials either, and he is not aware of any other projects headed to the county.
He also stressed that the county had no role in the city’s approval. “Technically it’s in Clinton County, but it’s in Frankfort,” he said. “The county council, the county commissioners, we had no involvement. … That was purely the city council.”
Workforce and growth
Brewer said people often ask how many jobs a new business will bring and whether those jobs will go to local residents. He said it is “fairly impossible” to require workers to live in the county. With unemployment at roughly 3 to 4 percent, he said, about 1,000 to 1,200 people in the county are out of work. That means a new employer would have to bring in workers from outside or hire them away from local businesses.
“You have to value the relationships of the people that have been here and have invested in our community,” he said, adding, “This is not me saying I’m anti-growth.”
Asked about growth, Brewer said he thinks Clinton County, now around 35,000 residents, will optimally, in his opinion, settle at about 45,000. He said housing is the main barrier: “How do you have the business come if you don’t have the workforce, while the workforce doesn’t have housing?”
He said residents often tell him what they don’t want, but they rarely give clear direction on the kinds of economic development they do want.
Budget approach
With budget season underway, Brewer said the commissioners and the county council have worked well together. Brewer said he weighs every budget decision with two questions: “How does this benefit the taxpayer?” and “How does it benefit the employees?”
He said that over the past five years, the commissioners have run the courthouse budget at or below budget-neutral. That has built up cash for future facility projects. He also said the county needs to refocus on core services like roads and drainage as Senate Bill 1 changes local government funding over the next few years.
Courthouse delayed to 2027
Brewer said the courthouse renovation had been on schedule, but crews found antiquated plumbing that has to be redone. Offices will likely move into the courthouse in the first quarter of 2027.
“I’m glad we found it at this point in time,” he said, rather than after offices had moved in. He also admitted that problems remain at the county annex: “It’s real. I’m not gonna try and sugarcoat it.”
Fuel purchasing pays off
Brewer said the county’s fuel tanks have already paid for themselves and more in about two years. Because the county bought fuel in bulk, including a purchase in June 2025 at a low price, it will carry fuel priced at about $2.55 to $2.60 a gallon into the first quarter of 2027. That gives the county more time to decide on 2027 fuel purchases.
He also pushed back on a claim he had heard that commissioners work only four hours a month. He pointed to daily calls, emails, meetings and watching the markets.
Harvest underway
Brewer, who also farms, said harvest is off to a good start. Corn moisture has been running 20 to 26 percent, and soybeans have dropped from about 13 percent to 10 or 11. He said parts for farm equipment have become much harder to get quickly. A dryer part promised in two days took 12 to arrive.
He asked drivers to be patient with farm equipment on rural roads, especially County Road 650. He said heavy cut-through traffic there has made it feel like “State Road 650.”
Residents can reach Brewer by calling the commissioners’ office for his email address. “I respond to everyone,” he said. “I work for you.”
