Dan Borgenheimer
Vice President of the three-member Blackford County Board of Commissioners and a Drainage Board member. A vocal proponent of moving forward with the county's wind and solar developers, he cast the deciding vote for the EDP / Teays River reimbursement agreement and has drawn public criticism over renewable-energy negotiations and a pattern of meeting absences.
The 60-second story
Dan Borgenheimer is the Republican Vice President of the Blackford County Board of Commissioners and a member of the County Drainage Board. The board retained him as vice president for 2026 under President John Lancaster, and he continues to represent the commissioners on the Blackford Development Corporation.
He has been the board's most consistent advocate for proceeding with the county's wind and solar developers, arguing the county had spent more than a year on its ordinance and that overly strict floodplain setbacks would permit zero turbines — 'going from 35 to zero is not reasonable.' The record bears this out: he voted to authorize formal EDA negotiations with RWE Prairie Creek Phase 2 (Jan. 5, 2026), to begin working with EDP Renewables (Jan. 20, 2026), to approve RWE and Blackford Solar road-use amendments (April 6, 2026), to approve an Economic Development Administrative Services Agreement funding wind/solar developer audits (May 4, 2026), and to approve the Prairie Creek Wind Phase 2 Economic Development Agreement, Resolution 2026-7 (June 15, 2026).
Borgenheimer cast the deciding vote, with Commissioner Coons, to approve the EDP / Teays River reimbursement agreement over Lancaster's lone 'No.' He has also drawn scrutiny for a pattern of absences from substantive renewable-energy meetings, and in April 2026 abstained from approving the March 24 and April 6, 2026 meeting minutes.
Quick facts
- Current role Vice President, Blackford County Board of Commissioners
- Also serves as Member, Blackford County Drainage Board
- Also represents commissioners on Blackford Development Corporation (appointed Feb. 2026)
- Board reorganization Retained as Vice President for 2026 (Jan. 5, 2026)
- Party Republican
- Jurisdiction Blackford County, Indiana
- Fellow commissioners John Lancaster (President); Laura Pierce Coons
Three things voters should know
He is the board's pro-development voice on renewables
Borgenheimer has repeatedly defended moving forward with wind and solar developers and refused to add wind/solar to the county's moratorium framework: 'I think I've already told them we're not doing that.'
He cast the deciding vote on the EDP / Teays River deal
With Commissioner Coons, he approved the developer-funded reimbursement agreement 2-1 over Lancaster's objection, framing it as the EDC — not the county — doing the negotiating.
His attendance has been questioned publicly
Borgenheimer has been absent from multiple substantive meetings, including the August 18, 2025 session where the EDP / Teays River agreement was first presented.
Biography
Borgenheimer is one of the three county commissioners who form Blackford County's executive board, with responsibility for roads and bridges, contracts, appointments, and county property. He also serves on the Blackford County Drainage Board.
In February 2026 he was appointed to represent the commissioners on the Blackford Development Corporation, abstaining from the vote on his own appointment, which passed 2-1.
Career
Memberships & affiliations
Blackford County Board of Commissioners (Vice President), Blackford County Drainage Board (Member), Blackford Development Corporation (Commissioners' representative)
Potential conflicts the Ledger has flagged
On February 2, 2026 the board appointed Borgenheimer to represent the commissioners on the Blackford Development Corporation. He abstained from the vote on his own appointment, which passed 2-1.
Notable votes
Positions, in their own words
"I think I've already told them we're not doing that."— Commissioners, Feb. 2, 2026
"going from 35 to zero is not reasonable."— Commissioners, Oct. 6, 2025
"The EDC is making, they're negotiating with the company, not us, not the county."— Commissioners, Sept. 2, 2025