Muncie IT Firm Pitches Blackford County on Managed Services, Offers Free Consulting

From the Blackford County Council meeting on June 3, 2026

LEAP Managed IT, a Muncie-based firm owned by Gary Thomas and Michael Thomas, presented an IT support proposal to the Blackford County Council on Tuesday. The presentation was informational — no vote was taken.

After walking through county facilities with Commissioner Laura Coons and the county building manager, LEAP produced a "stoplight report" assessing the county's technology infrastructure. Among its findings: the county has no IT plan, no upgrade roadmap, email problems, no backups, and disorganized wiring.

The county's current IT contract runs through June 2027. LEAP is not asking the county to break it. Instead, the firm is offering 10 hours per month of free consulting until the contract expires, to learn the county's systems and prepare a transition plan. If hired afterward, LEAP's managed plan would cost $9,900 per month — or $118,800 per year — for 50 hours of monthly support, with overages billed at $300 per hour. Hours do not carry over month to month.

The county currently spends approximately $76,000 per year on its IT contract, but total IT expenditures across all departments exceed $250,000 per year. LEAP's proposed managed plan would represent a 56% increase over the current contract price alone. LEAP works with Jay County, Randolph County, Winchester, Muncie, Eaton, and recently onboarded Jefferson County. Auditor Lisa Simmons would likely serve as the county's main point of contact.

Source: Meeting transcript — Blackford County - County Council Meeting - June 03, 2026

Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.