Schmitt selected to represent District 1 on County Council

Daryl Schmitt will finish Craig Greulich’s term on the Dubois County Council after being selected by caucus on Saturday at the Jasper Train Depot.

The District 1 seat was vacated by Craig Greulich when he was selected by caucus to finish Kitty Merkley’s term as Dubois County Treasurer earlier this month. Greulich was re-elected to his seat on the council in November before Merkley announced her intention to step down.

According to Dubois County GOP Chair Bob Duncan, the group of precinct committeemen had four candidates to choose from for the County Council District 1 position: Craig Hanneman, Levi Hulsman, Deena Lewis, and Daryl Schmitt. Each candidate was given time to speak during the caucus. It took four rounds of balloting, with one round being a tie, before the caucus chose Mr. Schmitt, Duncan said.  

Mr. Schmitt grew up west of Ireland and graduated from Pike Central before completing degrees at Vincennes University and Indiana State. While at Indiana State, he worked for UPS and subsequently remained with the company for seven years working in management for six.

In 1992, he and his wife, Tricia, moved to Dubois County to help his father on the family farm. He eventually took over the farm’s operation and has lived in Dubois County ever since.

Schmitt said he decided to step forward because he wanted to serve the community he and his wife loved and valued. According to Schmitt, as a constituent, he would reach out to elected officials whenever he felt he could help. “As a concerned taxpayer, if there was an issue that I felt I had an expertise or I could provide some value, I wasn’t afraid to call,” the 56-year-old explained.

With the opening created by Greulich’s move, Schmitt said he felt with his corporate background and his experience operating the family farm, he had a lot to offer the county on the council. “Tricia and I talked about it, and we felt we could be a good asset and give back to the community,” he said.

Schmitt will attend his first meeting representing District 1 on Monday, January 30, 2023, for the regular council meeting.

The Schmitts have three sons, Dylan, 28, Andrew, 26, and Bennett, 24. 

“This is a great place to raise a family and great community,” Schmitt said. “Now, we just want to give back.

Councilman Schmitt can be reached at 812-631-3856 or by email at DLSchmitt@DuboisCountyin.org.