Jim Weiseman
Blackford County Council member and a defender of full funding for the county's economic-development office. His personal acquaintance with an IT vendor pitching the county has raised procurement questions.
The 60-second story
Jim Weiseman is a Republican member of the Blackford County Council. He strongly defended keeping the county's economic-development office funded at $160,000 when colleagues floated cuts, calling it 'money well spent.'
He offered to help recalculate the county salary matrix after an implementation error added $1,000 across-the-board to matrix-eligible employees instead of at the matrix starting point, and he reports being active with the county's Local Emergency Planning Committee, which recently passed its bylaws.
His long personal acquaintance with the LEAP IT vendor pitching the county has raised procurement conflict-of-interest questions. A LEAP presenter disclosed at the June 1, 2026 Commissioners meeting that Weiseman had conveyed council preferences before the evaluation began; the same LEAP pitch — touting potential savings of roughly $174,000 a year — returned to the Council that includes Weiseman on June 3, 2026.
Weiseman has also been named in community concerns over the county's 4-H building project: he and Shane Smith reportedly resigned from the fair board in September 2025, leaving roughly $112,000 in unfinished building costs, though council members stressed those accounts were hearsay with no official fair-board explanation.
Quick facts
- Current role Member, Blackford County Council
- Party Republican
- Jurisdiction Blackford County, Indiana
- Signature issues Economic-development funding, personnel/salary, emergency planning
Three things voters should know
He defends economic-development funding
Weiseman pushed to keep the EDO funded at $160,000 against proposed cuts.
He volunteered to fix the salary-matrix error
When a $1,000 across-the-board matrix error surfaced, Weiseman offered to help recalculate.
His LEAP IT ties raise procurement questions
A long personal acquaintance with the LEAP IT vendor, and reports he relayed council preferences pre-evaluation, drew conflict-of-interest scrutiny.
Biography
Weiseman has served as a member of the Blackford County Council, representing Blackford County, Indiana, appearing in council records as a member since at least 2024.
Memberships & affiliations
Blackford County Council (Member), Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)
Potential conflicts the Ledger has flagged
A LEAP IT presenter disclosed a long personal acquaintance with Weiseman and said Weiseman had conveyed that 'there were some things that come down from the council' before the evaluation began — raising a vendor-selection conflict-of-interest concern as the council weighs the contract.
Notable votes
Positions, in their own words
"that's money in my estimation well spent, and that's his job."— Council, Aug. 6, 2025