Lapel Town Council votes to remove council president for not living in town limits
The Madison County town of Lapel has removed its council president from his seat for not living within the town’s boundaries. As IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports, the move comes after the man lost his Lapel home to a tornado.
Audio Transcript
Chad Blake has been living in the small town of Edgewood after a 2025 tornado destroyed his home in Lapel. Indiana state law says a member of a council must reside within the city or town they represent.
Despite this, Blake has said he is adamant about continuing to serve.
“At the end of the day, I was elected by the people of Lapel. And I am committed to still being part of Lapel.”
The town council asked Blake several times to show adequate proof he’s making progress on moving back. He showed utility payments and soil samples on the property he still owns, where a garage still sits.
Read More: Confirmed tornado damages Frankton-Lapel Schools administration building
Council members said that was not enough and voted 3-1 to remove him from his seat. Blake abstained from the vote and the single vote in his favor came from councilwoman Lindsay Washmuth.
The council says the proof of intent cannot be contingent on future events. As an example, one of the council members said something like an application for a construction loan would not be sufficient for proving intent because it is contingent on the loan being approved.
While not producing any documentation at the hearing, Blake claims he has shown his current financial records to the town attorney. He says that demonstrates he has the money to build a house in Lapel.
Blake says he will appeal the decision to a local court.
Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer. Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu.
