Jim Smiley, left, is sworn in to the Milford Town Council by Austin Rovenstine, secretary of the Kosciusko County Republican Party. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.

By Keith Knepp
InkFreeNews

MILFORD — Longtime Milford resident Jim Smiley was chosen by caucus on Jan. 2 to serve on the Milford Town Council. He replaced veteran councilman Dr. Robert Cockburn, who resigned from his seat at the end of the year.

Smiley first came to the Lakeland area in 1992, moving from his native Cambridge City, located in central Indiana between Richmond and Indianapolis, after being laid off from his job in the automotive industry. He and his wife, Angie, moved to Syracuse where his mother-in-law lived. He soon found a job in the area, which led them to purchasing a house in Millersburg in 1995.

“It was a long drive going back and forth all the time (to his job at Dana Corporation in Syracuse,” he recalled. “We eventually had a house built in North Park (in Milford). We moved in April 2006.”

Smiley has worked in the RV/van conversion industry since he moved to the area, working for a number of different companies. In 2020, during the pandemic, Smiley left his job at a local RV company.

“I went home and prayed on it to take some time to figure out what I was going to do with my life, because I just quit the only thing I knew,” said Smiley. “My son (who owns a lawn care business) came over and said, ‘Dad, why don’t you fertilize yards?’”

Smiley took classes through Purdue University to get the education he needed to become certified, which he was in March 2021. The previous December, he started Smiley’s Lawn Service, confident of his pending certification. He also was snow plowing in the winter to help make ends meet. The first year he had around 50 accounts, a number that has since increased to 180.

“God has blessed me, He’s blessed my family,” he said. “My son’s business is growing, mine is growing.”

A love of his town led Smiley to seek ways to serve the community. He joined the Milford Lions Club and was named the Lion of the Year in 2023.

“It was a great honor, because there’s a lot of great people in the Milford Lions,” he said. “It just got me thinking about how I could make a difference in my town. I do my homework; I don’t just react. I don’t commit to something because you can’t guarantee somebody something because things can change that tomorrow. I think I can make a difference.”

A fiscal conservative, Smiley is a businessman who is about saving money. He believes that the council needs to consider everything when it comes to making financial decisions.

“We’re representing the entire town of Milford, not just one little area (of it),” he said. “I want this town to prosper, I want it to grow. I plan on being here for the rest of my life. This is my home. I’m going to be buried here in Milford. My life couldn’t be better.”

Smiley had planned to run for a council seat in the next general election. When Cockburn decided to retire, he decided to take advantage of the opportunity, even though he had no experience in public service.

“I had never been to a town board meeting in my life. But now, I’m learning it’s a lot,” he said. “I have to do what’s best for the town, the taxpayers of Milford. Not just for any one individual or certain people. I’m still taking in everything because there’s two sides to every story. No matter what, someone isn’t going to agree with you. I want to continue to help my town grow. I want it to continue to be a better place.”

Smiley and his wife have been married for 33 years. Together they have two adult, children, Paige, who is married and works for Interra Credit Union, and Kyle.