Mitch Harper was elected in 2007 to serve the citizens of the Fourth District of the Fort Wayne Common Council.  He serves as Chairman of the Finance Committee and as the Common Council's representative on the board of the Fort Wayne - Allen County Economic Development Alliance.

Mitch Harper is committed to vigorous representation of the concerns of taxpayers in the Fourth District. 

He previously served 12 years as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives where he served as Chairman of the House Urban Affairs Committee, the House Labor Committee and Co-Chair of the Environmental Affairs Committee.  While a State Representative he was the Indiana Chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council.

He was selected in a national competition for the first class of Henry Toll Fellows of the Council of State Governments.

At the time of his election he was the youngest member of the Indiana General Assembly. Mitch Harper was an advocate of term limits and voluntarily left the General Assembly at the end of his 6th two-year term.

He maintains an interest in attracting and promoting younger persons to government who can provide a fresh perspective.  He is an advocate for appointing young professionals early in their careers to service on Fort Wayne city boards and commissions.  He has also been an advocate of supporting younger students' interest in government.

Mitch Harper was born in Fort Wayne and is a lifelong resident of Allen County.  His great-great grandfather, William Harper, settled in Allen County in 1834 after immigrating from County Tyrone, Ireland.

Mitch Harper was married in 1989 to Dawn Wilson  and they reside in the Barrington Lake Estates neighborhood.  Dawn is a Certified Public Accountant.

Mitch Harper is an attorney in private practice. He is graduate of Indiana University and its School of Law at Indianapolis.  He is editor of the weblog, Fort Wayne Observed (www.FortWayneObserved.com).  He also writes a bi-weekly column for the Waynedale News.

He served on the House Committee on Cities and Towns and was a member of the joint committee on Local Government Affairs which drafted Indiana's first Home Rule legislation.

He was the author of Indiana's Crime Victim's Notification Act.  He is a recipient of the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business for his legislative record of support for Indiana small business. 

Mitch Harper is President of the Mary and Perry Spencer charitable foundation which provides grants to non-profit organizations, particularly those serving the needs of children and youth.

He is also a member of the board of the Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor and was one of the founding members of that organization.  He is also a member of the board of Drive Alive, the initiative of Coroner Jon Brandenberger to reduce teen driving deaths. 

He has been a past member of the boards of AWS (Anthony Wayne Services) and ARCH, Fort Wayne's historic preservation organization.  He is a past President of the Fort Wayne Rivergreenway Consortium. He served as member of the Mayor's Task Force on the Future of Smith Field in 2002.

He is active in promoting running and recreation in northeast Indiana.  He is the organizer and founder of several athletic events including the Galloping Gobbler 4 Miler held at the campus of the University of St. Francis each Thanksgiving.   The HUFF 50K Trail Run at the Huntington Reservoir in December attracts competitors from 30 different states and is one of the largest events of its kind in North America.

Mr. Harper was one of the first emergency medical technicians actively providing emergency ambulance service in Allen County and he maintains an interest in emergency and public safety services.

Councilman Harper can be reached at:

5207 Hopkinton Fort Wayne, IN  46814
260.436.4824
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

or through the City Council Office at:

One Main Street
Room 290
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802
260.427.1445
Fax:  260.427.2979
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it