BRANDON SAKBUN

2025 Vision: Terre Haute sets the standard for growth amongst mid-size Midwest cities, attracting and retaining workers and their families, creating a city that enables entrepreneurs, and begins to attract venture and investment funding.  

 

The City of Terre Haute’s population has fallen under 59,000 for just the second time since 1910. Since 2010, the Terre Haute population has decreased by almost 4% and the average age of its population has increased to 32. From 2017 to 2021, the median household income in 2021 dollars was $38,750. According to recently released U.S. Census figures, Terre Haute, known as the Queen City of the Wabash, demonstrated higher levels of poverty, lower marriage rates, lower incomes, older housing, and lower rental payments compared to the average resident of Indiana. From 2016 to 2020, approximately 25.3% of Terre Haute residents lived below the federal poverty level. Of particular concern is the percentage of children living in poverty in Terre Haute. Within the 2016 to 2020 period, 33.1% of children under the age of 18 in Terre Haute were in poverty, while the state average for Indiana was 17.6%. 

 

Our citizens are hurting. Terre Haute needs to write a new chapter, together we can create a culture of economic growth. To revamp our local economy we need to open our doors to investments, by highlighting our airport and access to interstate travel, and investing in our people. Home to four institutions of higher learning and a large school corporation, jobs and retaining our talented students go hand in hand. To move Terre Haute forward, we must shift our focus on bringing in new jobs and industries, building off our successful employers, investing in public assets, and creating a safe and vibrant community that is desirable to current and future residents.  

 

• Attracting and Retaining Talent:

Historically, success in Terre Haute was defined by leaving. We need to retain our talented graduates at all education levels. Terre Haute has many educational opportunities in secondary and higher education, with three high schools and four universities. Additionally, in the Vigo County School Corporation, there are workforce development programs that can help bridge the transition from secondary to higher education or provide job-based training for employment. We need Terre Haute to be a city where our youth want to build a future and have opportunities to pursue careers. It should not matter if you have a GED or a PHD, there will be an opportunity for you to earn a liveable wage and raise a family in our city. 

 

For high school graduates and those with a GED, we want you to know that there is an opportunity to live and succeed here. I will prioritize working with regional employers, university partners, the school corporation, and upskill programs to provide workforce development programs for all of our citizens. 

 

Placemaking is a tool we can use to attract and retain talent. A clean city that promotes healthy lifestyles and offers mobility for all residents will set us apart from neighboring communities. Public transportation and access to the interstate will connect our residents to our vibrant community and attract new families looking for opportunities. 

 

Sakbun’s Plan:

• Facilitate talent pipelines and upskilling programs between our universities, technical schools, high schools, and local industries. Terre Haute's talented; you can and should stay right here.

• Use City projects, a rejuvenated look at zoning, and develop partnerships to promote and incentivize urban designs that benefit the community and economy. Areas to target immediately are North Terre Haute’s Industrial Park, Terre Haute Airport, Downtown, and the Wabash River. 

• Create an economic growth plan for North, South, Central, and East Terre Haute. Every district and neighborhood should have access to employment and city services.

• Support our small business community with relationships and business developments. This includes training opportunities through the Indiana Small Business Development Commission, Scott College School of Business, Black Business Alliance, and Chamber of Commerce.

• Support minority and women-owned businesses to diversify access to the growing local economy in Terre Haute

• Support the Terre Haute Human Relations Commission as a core City institution to fight discrimination and ensure equal employment opportunity, fair housing, public accommodations, and education for all individuals, regardless of ethnic group, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, nationality, or disability.

 

• Supporting Local Businesses and Organized Labor

Small businesses continue to reinforce the lifeblood of our community. Whether it is family-owned restaurants or sports stores, our small business community needs support from the city to expand and grow. With investments in the hospitality and tourism industry, more and more visitors will cross through our city. We need to ensure that our locally owned banks, businesses, restaurants, and museums are supported during these increases.

 

The working community of Terre Haute needs assurance that our city will follow labor laws, and contract regulations, and properly utilize tax abatements to ensure that our neighbors and local workforce are treated fairly. Our community benefits from a strong organized labor workforce. Through recruitment programs, retention programs, and providing work opportunities, the city of Terre Haute must stand with our workers. 

 

Sakbun’s Plan:

• Connect small businesses with the Indiana Small Business Development Center and work through the Chamber of Commerce to support new business owners with workforce training opportunities and management coaching. New business owners will receive the tools required to break through in the local economy. 

• Incentivize neighborhood development for small businesses looking to expand their locations in food deserts, neighborhoods without access to essential services, and targeted areas in each city council district. Utilize tax policies to create a welcoming environment for businesses willing to address our city’s fight against poverty and public health.

• Pass an enforceable Responsible Bidding Ordinance with a codified enforcement code and ensures our local laborers are included in community projects.

• Target grants for revitalizing small businesses in North Terre Haute, Downtown, and Riverfront Investments. The focus will be on filling retail and commercial properties on the first two floors of multi-floor buildings. A partnership with Riverscape will be redefined with a target of five years to break ground on five different properties along the Wabash.

• Maintain a level playing field by making sure that labor laws, proper worker classifications, and contractor registrations are followed.

• Create a yearly review for all contracts and abatements to ensure that they are properly awarded to businesses that help our community. Contracts should be awarded based on qualifications and price, not personal relationships. 

• Use state and federal funding to create microloans for up-and-coming businesses throughout the city. 

 

• Fostering a Culture of Entrepreneurs and Innovation 

After operating in Terre Haute for sixty years, Pfizer Inc. ceased operations at its plant in 2009. Large employers have decreased jobs and several have left our city. While we have seen recent success in the county and Industrial Park as a result of the Terre Haute Economic Development Commission, a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation needs to be created to grow our city’s business industry
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The modern workforce has witnessed a recent shift to remote work. Terre Haute can capitalize on this trend by creating co-working facilities and opening its doors to business firms in the technology, engineering, finance, insurance, and accounting industry. 

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Sakbun’s Plan:

• Streamline the business permit process for new small businesses and established firms. It should be an efficient process to safely open your doors to the public.

• Create a city partnership with Rose Hulman Ventures for a government-focused innovation hub to modernize our public sector. Create a similar project with Indiana State and SMWC for students studying public affairs, finance, or public policy. We can leverage our talented minds and work with them during their undergraduate years.

• Promote innovation and technology investment in the private sector through grant funding.

• Lead the way in business modernization platforms like data mining, solar energy farms, and modernization. These industries continue to grow and are looking for opportunities across the United States. 

• Create an Innovation Park/Hands-on Research Area with Indiana State, Saint Mary of Woods College, and Ivy Tech to support the commercialization of university research. This partnership allows the universities to profit from their work while providing immediate benefits to our community.