Shane "Squatch" Smith

He's not a career politician but he is a known local figure

Most first-time candidates running against an incumbent walk in cold. Smith doesn't. He has co-hosted 'The Squatch and Ashley Show' weekly podcast with Hartford City Chamber of Commerce President Ashley Laurence since March 2025, has appeared in chamber media writeups by name throughout 2025, runs five Blackford County businesses including the high-visibility Froggy Bottom Outdoors retail store at 1610 N. Walnut Street, and is publicly tied to the major fairgrounds redevelopment project. The 'first run for office' framing is technically correct; the 'unknown to voters' framing is not.

Tax-abatement deals on the four wind/solar projects are his central issue

Smith's policy critique frames the four wind and solar developers in active negotiation with Blackford County (Leeward Renewable Energy, EDF Renewables, RWE, EDP) as outside companies extracting tax breaks from Blackford County for projects that 'give away more than they get back.' He argues abatements need to be tightened, setback rules need to be fixed, and that the county needs 'stronger negotiating, clearer communication, and a process that puts residents first.' This is the sharpest contrast with incumbent Coons, who frames continued negotiation as a path to county growth.

He led a $723,980 fairgrounds rebuild — concrete civic-leadership track record

As lead of the Blackford County Fair Board's building committee, Smith helped develop and advance a planned redevelopment of the county fairgrounds — a combined office space and community center to replace the old tent FFA and 4-H had been using. The project, a collaboration of Purdue Extension, the Blackford FFA Chapter, and Blackford County 4-H, secured an initial $80,000 county commitment toward the $723,980 budget. Smith framed the project: 'I want to change the whole look of the fairgrounds. I want to do something that would look good, but could also provide some income and could also help the city.' The Purdue Extension Office subsequently moved temporarily into the 4-H Fairgrounds building during construction.

Smith is the co-owner of five Blackford County businesses (Smith Consulting, Smith Holding Company, S.J. Smith Facility Maintenance, Froggy Bottom Outdoors, Froggy Bottom Properties), at least one of which is in the construction trades. He led the Blackford County Fair Board's building committee on a $723,980 fairgrounds redevelopment project, for which the county has committed $80,000 in initial funding and may be asked for further tranches. If elected, Smith would sit on the Board of Commissioners — the body that approves county contracts and county capital project funding. There is therefore a layered structural intersection between (a) his construction-trades business interests, (b) his ongoing role as a champion of a county-funded project, and (c) the commissioner authority he is seeking. Indiana's local-government conflict-of-interest disclosure rules (IC 35-44.1-1-4) require disclosure but allow business owners to serve. This is a transparency-disclosure observation rather than an alleged violation. Smith has been publicly transparent about both his businesses and his fairgrounds-project role; both are documented in Hartford City News-Times coverage.

"Renewable energy projects have become a problem because counties are being pushed into decisions without enough research. I support property rights, but I don't believe they should override basic fairness. Outside companies are looking for tax breaks, and Indiana counties give away more than they get back. Tax abatements need to be tightened up, and our setback rules need to be fixed. We need stronger negotiating, clearer communication, and a process that puts residents first."— Hartford City News-Times candidate Q&A, April 2026

"Growth is the most important issue facing Blackford County, and the county keeps falling behind because we don't negotiate the best deals. Too often we give away more than we get back, and that holds us back from attracting the kinds of businesses that actually strengthen our tax base and support local families. I would address this by negotiating stronger deals, focusing on businesses that bring real value to the county, and communicate and build relationships with residents."— Hartford City News-Times candidate Q&A, April 2026

"I'm not a politician, and I don't act like one. I'm a home-grown, blue-collar business owner who's spent years working in Montpelier and Hartford City, and I negotiate deals every day. I know when something's a good deal, when it's garbage and when someone's trying to take advantage of this county. I've put in the hours volunteering on projects because I actually care about this place. I'm here to hold people accountable, cut through the nonsense and make decisions that put Blackford County first. I understand this county and the people who live here because I'm one of them."— Hartford City News-Times candidate Q&A, April 2026

"This is a powerful tool. Like all tools it can be used to build or to destroy. 'Hartford City Happenings' could be one of the best things to happen to the community if people would use it to help build up the community rather than to tear things down with their negative comments."— Hartford City News-Times: 'Fighting the negativity and misinformation one podcast at a time,' April 30, 2025