The county is looking to pass a resolution that will give commissioners more of a say in Industrial Development Board projects.
At the county Economic and Agricultural Development meeting Tuesday night, Commissioners discussed a resolution requiring the IDB to gain the approval of the Warren County Legislative body prior to the approval of any IDB projects. This resolution would allow the county to closely monitor and approve projects and would not affect any current or previous IDB projects.
This resolution comes after commissioner disapproval of the IDB’s negotiation with the Bridgestone expansion.
“There have been a lot of giveaways. Here is the thing, if I build a barn or a house or something, what happens when Beth Martin comes out and measures it? Your taxes go up, but what we’re doing is not. Here’s the deal with the PILOT programs, if someone pays taxes it comes to Warren County. It comes into the county, but if it goes to the PILOT program it automatically gets deferred to the IDB board and they decide who gets it. They disperse that money and can send it to the county or send it to themselves or send it to the school system,” said Commissioner Carl D. Bouldin.
Commissioner Ron Lee asked if the PILOT programs were tied to an obligation from the people receiving them and Bouldin said it was supposed to.
“When that is not being fulfilled and we have a case, or maybe more than one, why in the world are we putting up with it?” asked Lee.
“If the IDB cancels that policy that money, the taxes, roll over to the county, but if they fine them for not living up to the obligations the fine money goes to the IDB,” said Bouldin.
“I didn’t realize they were in the money-making business,” said Lee. “I am concerned about when the taxpayers of Warren County stick their neck out to loan the money, which is what you do, and they say we are going to have this many people working on this day and they don’t ever fulfil it, we have to make a change somewhere.”
“You are exactly right Ron. That is happening and you are going to have to get involved and make sure these PILOTs are written where this reverts back to you,” said County Executive Terry Bell.
Bouldin believes this resolution will give the county more control over these IDB projects and referenced the steel company possibly coming to Morrison.
“This right here will give us a little more control of stuff,” said Bouldin. “There are several situations. When they give all that away, like the steel company that is coming in, he wants to give them two years with no taxes. Now, they bought the land, done paid for it, and they are going to find out tonight if they are getting it rezoned.”
Bouldin says the steel company has already committed and does not understand why they are giving them a PILOT. He says if there was not a PILOT, the money would go straight to the county.
“If there is not a PILOT program, their taxes that comes to the county immediately would be $206,609 plus the personal taxes are like $80 something. That is your cure to the ambulance service, but if we go into the PILOT program and give them two free years we still have electrical upgrades. We have water upgrades, we have sewer. Don is saying we can attach onto W. Maple Street, but they said that was at capacity,” said Bouldin.
The committee passed the resolution unanimously. Commissioner Gary Prater was absent. The resolution will go to the Budget and Finance Committee next.
“This will assure us that they don’t go out and give our money away without checking with us,” said Commissioner Brad Hillis.
“It kind of sounds like they were giving our money away anyway with Bridgestone and this. I am new here and am just looking on it from the outside,” said Commissioner Charles Dotson.
