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Running for office

Paul Schriver

Republican · Blackford County, IN

The 60-second story

Paul Schriver serves as the elected Blackford County Surveyor, a position he has held for over 11 years. In this role, he oversees the county's legal drain system, manages ditch maintenance and tile replacement projects, and chairs the Blackford County Drainage Board. He also serves on the Blackford County Area Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Schriver is the driving force behind the Mohi Dam rehabilitation project, a roughly $4 million initiative to rebuild a failing dam that has not passed inspection during his tenure. The project has required coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Indiana DNR, and the Indiana Finance Authority, and has faced years of engineering and permitting delays that have driven the construction estimate up by approximately $300,000.

On the APC, Schriver has been actively involved in shaping the county's solar and wind energy ordinance amendments, voting on provisions related to property value guarantees, setback requirements, decommissioning standards, and noise regulations. He also manages an extensive ditch maintenance program using both traditional excavation and modern drone-spray vegetation treatment across dozens of county-regulated drains.

Quick facts

  • Office Blackford County Surveyor (elected)
  • Other Roles Area Planning Commission member, Board of Zoning Appeals member, Drainage Board chair
  • In Office Over 11 years
  • Key Projects Mohi Dam rehabilitation (~$4M), county drain tile replacement program, drone-spray ditch treatment
  • Office Location Blackford County Courthouse, Hartford City, IN

Biography

Paul Schriver is the elected Blackford County Surveyor, serving from the county courthouse in Hartford City, Indiana. He has held the office for over a decade, managing the county's extensive network of legal drains, tiles, and ditches. He also serves on the Blackford County Area Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals, giving him a role in land use planning and zoning decisions.

As surveyor, Schriver oversees a wide range of drainage infrastructure projects including tile replacements, open ditch excavation, brush removal, and the deployment of drone-spray herbicide treatments. He has introduced a cumulative drain fund (approximately $2 per acre) that provides ongoing maintenance funding without requiring repayment, and he manages the financial mechanics of drain assessments, bonding, and county general surplus fund loans for seasonal cash flow.

Schriver's signature project is the Mohi Dam rehabilitation, a multi-year, approximately $4 million effort to rebuild a dam that has not passed inspection during his time in office. The project has involved Army Corps of Engineers permitting (with a jurisdictional dispute between the Chicago and Louisville offices), National Guard coordination for potential construction support, and Indiana Bond Bank financing. He has advocated for using locally sourced Rock Creek stone instead of classified Class I riprap to save roughly $300,000 on the project.

He has publicly noted that he may not seek re-election due to his age, stating in November 2025 that he has 'maybe one year left to do this kind of stuff' and that he was considering not running. He is a hands-on official who regularly visits project sites, negotiates directly with contractors and landowners, and manages the seasonal logistics of drainage work around the agricultural calendar.