Builders should turn elsewhere if they face hurdles getting construction approved in Monroe Co., according to Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith.
Beckwith fielded questions at a construction industry luncheon Thursday at the Bloomington convention center, including whether the state should intervene to make building easier in Monroe Co.
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“The battles have to be fought locally. It's hard, I get it. It would sometimes be way easier for Indianapolis just to snap its fingers and say, 'We'll fix it for you.' But the ramifications of that, I think they have way worse ripple effects,” Beckwith said.
Instead, he said, builders should seek out business elsewhere, including in neighboring counties with fewer restrictions.
“You’ve got a county leadership doing things that are not helpful to your industry? Well, go do business in another county, throw it back in their face. Go be successful in that county and say, 'This could have all been yours,'" he said. "They’ll change, trust me. County officials will change very quickly.”
County and city officials didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The lieutenant governor was speaking in Bloomington at a luncheon hosted by the Building Association of South Central Indiana.
