What is an MPO?
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) were created by Congress in 1962 through the Federal Aid Highway Act, to plan for urban areas, rather than individual cities. Each MPO has an Urban Area (UA) that is based on population density per the Decennial Census. This UA population calculation determines an MPO’s funding allocation. Each MPO is required to establish a Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA) that includes its Urban Area (UA), plus the area expected to become urbanized within 20-years.

Creation of CAMPO
The Columbus Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) was designated as the MPO for the Columbus Area by the Governor of Indiana February 27, 2004. The CAMPO MPA encompasses Bartholomew County. CAMPO’s Urbanized Area Boundary (UAB) is mostly focused around Columbus, but it also extends north to include the area around Edinburgh. Therefore, the Edinburgh area is included in the calculations of the CAMPO urban area population. However, this Edinburgh area is within the Indianapolis MPO Planning Area (IMPO MPA). By interlocal agreement, CAMPO is responsible for “long range planning [MTP] and project funding [TIP] for the Columbus UA located in Johnson and Shelby counties [Edinburgh]”. View Full Map

Policy Board

CAMPO is directed by its Policy Board which includes representatives from Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and local governments within its planning area – the City of Columbus and Bartholomew County. The Policy Board adopts the CAMPO Operational Bylaws, which govern the operations of the Board and its advisory committees. The seven voting members and two ex-officio members are listed below:

City of Columbus Representatives

  • Mary Ferdon, Mayor
  • Tom Dell, City Council
  • Dennis Baute*, Plan Commission (*Vice-Chairperson)

Bartholomew County Representatives

  • Tony London, County Commissioner
  • Kim Bennett, County Council
  • Tom Finke**, Plan Commission (**Chairperson)

Partner Agency Representatives

Technical Committee

The purpose of the committee is to provide technical support by coordinating professional input on plans, studies and projects that require Policy Board approval. The Technical Committee includes members from transportation specialists in the CAMPO planning area, including those from state and federal partner agencies:

Columbus/Bartholomew County Representatives

  • Columbus-Bartholomew County Planning Director
  • Columbus City Engineer
  • ColumBUS Transit Transportation Director
  • Columbus Police Chief
  • Columbus Municipal Airport Director
  • Columbus City Utilities Director
  • Columbus Parks & Recreation Director
  • Bartholomew County Highway Engineer
  • Bartholomew County GIS Coordinator
  • Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation Transportation Director

State Representatives (INDOT)

  • Office of Asset Planning and Management
  • Office of Transit
  • Seymour District


Federal Representatives

  • Federal Highway Administration – Indiana Division
  • Federal Transit Administration –Region 5

Citizens Advisory Committee

The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is an advisory group for MPO plans or plan updates, specifically the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). CAMPO staff may determine if any other plan update would benefit from committee review. The committee does not take any formal action but rather provides feedback on plans brought before them. CAC is not a standing committee, but rather is assembled on an as-needed basis and is disbanded when the applicable plan is complete.