Jason Eckart
HOPE – The town of Hope has hired one of its own as the community’s new town manager.
Jason Eckart, 51, Hope, will officially begin his new job April 4.
The town manager serves as the chief administrative officer for a community. But unlike a mayor, the manager is not elected and serves at the pleasure of the town council. Two of the manager’s most important responsibilities involve economic development and grant writing.
Eckart grew up in a residence along County Road 150E and attended Grace Lutheran Church. He graduated in 1989 from Columbus North High School, and graduated from Vincennes University in 1994.
For 25 years, Eckart owned an auto repair shop in Colorado before deciding to return to Bartholomew County. He worked with his own company in Hope – JDE Enterprises of Indiana LLC – from 2018 until last year.
Eckart, who is single, has now been a Hope resident for the past five years, and has developed a passion for the northeast Bartholomew County community of 2,200 residents, he said.
He has served on the board of directors for Main Street of Hope, chaired the Friday Night Cruise-in committee, volunteered as an assistant coach for the Columbus Flames Pee Wee Hockey team and participated in Hope’s annual Groundhog’s Day event.
Eckart succeeds Frank Owens, who turned in his resignation on Dec. 17 after seven months on the job. Council president Jerry Bragg said Owens “had a personal issue come up, and felt he just couldn’t spend the time that this job takes.”
Owens, who had worked administrative positions in other cities and towns, set down a condition that a town manager serves the entire council – not individual council members. He said he would follow an edict from the council, but only if there was a consensus from all members.
Eckart says he doesn’t foresee any problems working with five elected town council members.
“I feel like having five bosses is the same as having one boss,” Eckart said. “But the way I feel, the citizens of Hope are my real bosses.”
The new town manager says he is encouraging all Hope residents to drop by his office at the town hall at 404 Jackson St. to express their ideas or concerns.
