The Jones County Board of Commissioners discussed a familiar issue at a brief business meeting last week.
The June 16 meeting was called to order by Board Chairman Chris Weidner, and the opening prayer and pledge were led by Rev. John Haney.
County Administrator Jason Rizner presented a resolution to adopt the Capital Improvement Elements update, the end of the annual process required due to the county’s impact fees, despite the fact the fees are currently at zero.
The second agenda item was another attempt at a resolution about State Place Cemetery. The cemetery has been before the board several times beginning in February of 2024. The issue now is how the cemetery will be maintained.
Burials in the cemetery that was created for the indigent came to the attention of a previous board in 2011. Although the problem of bodies continuing to be buried on the county- owned property was discussed at length, there was no resolution.
The issue came back up last year after it was not only determined that public burials were ongoing in the cemetery, but the some of the new graves were on landfill property. The landfill issue became an issue with the EPD.
Members of the community contended that the cemetery property was donated for the purpose of being used as a Black cemetery, but county documents told a different story. The property was donated as a pauper’s cemetery for the indigent, although there is no denial that it has been used by the public.
Rizner stated that the county stopped indigent burials more than 20 years ago, and those who are indigent at the time of their deaths are cremated.
The county cleaned up the cemetery in 2025, moved the entrance to Overland Way and spent $40,000 to have ground-penetrating radar identify where graves are located. A map was created showing 881 graves.
Commissioners made it clear in a May 6, 2025, workshop that burials are not allowed on the property. It was also brought up that the grave markers located in the cemetery do not bear out the contention that those buried there are in fact indigent.
Board members suggested that local churches with members who have family members buried in the cemetery could take ownership of the cemetery. No one at the meeting showed interest in taking ownership.
Weidner brought up the idea again at the June 16 meeting.
“I think it is time for us to put it open for an RFP to sell the cemetery. I want us to reach out locally,” he said. “This would be an opportunity for the local community and churches to bid on the property.”
County Attorney Ashley Brodie said she was not sure it the RFP would be possible.
Weidner said before selling the property the county needs to be comfortable. “We need to know what the new owner would do with it,” the chairman explained.
Brodie stated the property could be put up for bid or auctioned. She then went on to say the cemetery was a unique situation, and there may be a way to make it happen.
Commissioner Sam Kitchens asked if the county could put a pre-condition on the sale. He added there needed to be a guarantee for the continued maintenance for the cemetery.
Commissioner Daylon Martin noticed Rev. Wilbur Greene of New Damascus Baptist Church in the audience and asked him for input.
Greene said the problem is that young people are moving away from Jones County.
“What happens 25 years from now?” he asked.
Martin made the motion to postpone the item until the first meeting in August, and the vote in agreement was unanimous.
Department heads
Parks and Recreation Director Bert Rosenberger gave an update on the recreation program. He said 8U girls won the state championship and tournaments for other ages would be going on the following week.
He said the Independence Day Celebration sponsored by the Jones County/Gray Chamber of Commerce and the county will take place June 25 at the recreation complex. He also noted the name of the complex is now the Vallant Bank Recreation Complex.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:32 p.m. to enter closed session and reconvened at 7:33 only to be adjourned again with no action taken.
