Ryan Goodspeed
Vice President of the Blackford County Council and the body's resident EMS expert. He sits on the county Economic Development Corporation board and was the council's lead voice approving the RWE Prairie Creek Phase 2 tax abatement.
The 60-second story
Ryan Goodspeed is the Republican Vice President of the Blackford County Council, re-elected to the post for 2026 (he abstained on the vote on his own appointment). He also serves on the Blackford County Economic Development Corporation board and chaired the May 6, 2026 council meeting in President Jack Beckley's absence.
Goodspeed has been the council's most detailed voice on emergency medical services, citing years of work with IU and Marion Health and walking colleagues through ambulance economics — operating costs of roughly $750,000 to $1 million per ambulance, a heavy government-payer mix, and the role of more lucrative hospital-to-hospital transfers. In February 2026 he backed Option 1 for Lifeline Ambulance service, arguing the county already has the people and facilities to make local EMS work.
He moved the $112,050.08 4-H building bond appropriation — funded from wind and solar permit money — and voted for the RWE Prairie Creek Phase 2 tax abatement, which the council approved 6-0 while Beckley's remote vote went unrecorded amid a technical failure. Goodspeed's seat on the EDC board, which authorized the county's renewable-energy negotiations, while also voting on related abatements has drawn conflict-of-interest scrutiny, and his explanation that Baker Tilly's abatement analysis was first presented in an April executive session has raised open-meetings questions.
Quick facts
- Current role Vice President, Blackford County Council
- Also serves on Blackford County Economic Development Corporation board
- Party Republican
- Jurisdiction Blackford County, Indiana
- Signature issues EMS / ambulance service, economic development, county budget
Three things voters should know
He is the council's EMS specialist
Goodspeed has worked with IU and Marion Health for years and led the council through the economics of the county's ambulance decision.
He sits on the EDC board
His membership on the body that authorized renewable-energy negotiations, alongside his votes on related abatements, has raised conflict-of-interest questions.
He championed the RWE Phase 2 abatement
He voted to approve the Prairie Creek 2 tax abatement and defended how its Baker Tilly analysis was presented to the council.
Biography
Goodspeed has served on the Blackford County Council for several years, appearing as Council Vice President as far back as 2024 and being elected to the vice presidency again for 2026. He sits on the Blackford County Economic Development Corporation board alongside Dan Borgenheimer and Michael McClain, and has taken a lead role on county budget, economic development and EMS matters.
Memberships & affiliations
Blackford County Council (Vice President), Blackford County Economic Development Corporation (board member)
Potential conflicts the Ledger has flagged
Goodspeed sits on the Blackford County EDC board, which authorized the county's negotiations with wind and solar developers, while also voting as a council member on related tax abatements such as the RWE Prairie Creek Phase 2 abatement.
Notable votes
Positions, in their own words
"we already have the people here working for Evo... I think it's worth it."— Council, Feb. 4, 2026