Bell gets break on taxes

A Redkey-based fish processor was granted two tax abatements Wednesday evening by the Jay County Council as it looks to expand its operations.

Bell Aquaculture, which grows yellow perch in Albany and processes them in Redkey, received a 5-year abatement on $210,000 of new personal property (equipment) and a 2-year abatement on $20,000 of real property.

Jay County Development Corporation director reported that those were the recommendations of the tax abatement committee. Although the county usually offers 10-year abatements on real property, which includes land and land improvements, since the total was relatively small they chose a short-term abatement of two years.

"They never asked for any in the past," reminded councilman Gary Theurer. All of Bell's land and its facility outside Redkey are paying full taxes every year.

Bradley told the council that Bell, like most business, was hurt by the economic downturn nationally, but noted that the company is beginning a new aggressive marketing strategy.

Bell has also recently moved to set up a tax-increment financing district at its Albany farm site, with the hope to undergo a $92 million expansion in the future.

That expansion would mean more fish would be available to be processed at the Redkey site. Since it takes 18 to 24 months for a batch of fish to go "from diaper to platter," as put by council president Gerald Kirby, increasing the amount of growing space could create a more consistent processing schedule.

"There's a strong potential they're going to need to expand," Bradley said of the Redkey facility, reminding council members that the company had purchased all of the land in the Redkey industrial park to cater to future expansion.

Bell is also looking to begin its own fertilizer line, which will be created from processing waste products.

In other business Wednesday, the county council:

•Approved an additional appropriation of $5,879 from substance abuse program user fees for Jay Superior Court.

•Approved appropriations of $5,000, $3,000, $612, $5,000, $17,388 and $2,000 for the Jay County Health Department bio-terrorism budget. Those amounts come from a state grant supplied for H1N1 "swine" influenza preparation and will be used for labor and supplies for H1N1 vaccine clinics in the county.

•Approved an appropriation of $912.30 to the infrastructure fund for expenses associated with the Meridian Street courthouse annex building.

•Approved an appropriation of $50,000 in the infrastructure fund to be loaned to the Jay County Regional Sewer District. The district is using the money to pay bills until it receives grant funding for three sewer projects on the board.

•Tabled an appropriation of $2,400 to the pre-trial diversion fund since no representatives showed up to the meeting.

•Approved an appropriation of $3,025 from the VIN check fund for a new in-car camera for the sheriff's department.

•Approved an appropriation of $14.15 in the backhoe repair and replacement fund to pay for interest on the surveyor's department excavator.

•Approved transfers of $500 and $300 for Jay Superior Court to pay for law books and office supplies, respectively.

•Approved transfers of $5,553.24 and $2,811.47 in county general to pay for an upgrade to the fundware server in the auditor's office.

•Approved a transfer of $100 for the cemetery commission for headstone maintenance.

•Approved a loan of $750,000 from the county's rainy day fund to the general fund. Jay County auditor Nancy Culy said there isn't enough money in the general fund to support the county until the next tax collection and that the money will be repaid when tax dollars are received.[[In-content Ad]]