July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Pet food plant set for expansion (06/19/07)
Portland City Council
By By RACHELLE HAUGHN-
A slated expansion of a local business will benefit both humans and canines.
An official with Mars Pet Care, 218 E. Lincoln St., (formerly known as Doane Pet Care), announced Monday night that the company plans to spend about $6 million in equipment, and building improvements and expansions.
New production lines are being added - along with 51 jobs, nearly doubling the number of employees - so the company can begin making dog food. The plant currently mostly makes dog biscuits, plant manager Doug Reed told members of the Portland City Council. Among the Mars brands of pet food are Pedigree for dogs, and Whiskas for cats.
Reed said he expects dog food production to begin in January. Company officials asked for a 10-year tax abatement on improvements and expansion of the building, and a five-year abatement on the purchase of the equipment for the production lines.
Council members Glen Bryant, Kip Robinette, Bill Gibson, Jim Sanders and Jerry Leonhard voted to send the request to the Portland Tax Abatement Advisory Committee to review. Council president Judy Aker and councilman Dolphus Stephens did not attend Monday's meeting.
"We're very thrilled," Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, said after Reed announced the expansion. "It's absolutely fantastic news." He added that the plant currently employs 52, and salaries average about $33,000 per person.
Reed said he credits Mars' employees for their hard work. "They're the ones that really made this happen," he said.
Tax abatements allow companies to pay taxes on new investments in increasing increments over several years.
Also Monday, council members were given an update on recent legislative decisions - including property tax changes - and how the decisions could impact the city.
State Rep. Bill Davis (District 33, R-Portland) told council members that one of the most difficult decisions the 115th Indiana General Assembly had to make was to change property tax policies. The recent decision is aimed at providing property tax relief by giving local units of government the option of increasing income taxes.
A representative of an Indianapolis law firm explained to council members how property tax laws have changed throughout the years. Gretchen Gutman of Sommer Barnard PC, a former senior fiscal policy analyst for the Indiana General Assembly, suggested last week that the county's adjusted gross income tax increase from 1.5 percent to 3.15 percent over the next five years.
Bryant asked her if increasing the income tax could affect the city's tax increment financing (TIF) district.
Gutman said it could. If a TIF district does not generate enough revenue to pay back bonds, then property tax revenues can be used to help pay off the bonds. If there is a shortfall and property taxes have to be used, taxes could be increased. Also, bonds can be backed up with any other sources of revenue generated in the city, such as street and water department money. She said there are 118 TIF districts in Indiana.
Hosier suggested that council members attend a Jay County Council public hearing on July 11 at 6 p.m. to give their input on the possibility of increasing the county's gross income tax. The meeting will be held in the Jay County Courthouse commissioners' room.
Davis also touched on several recent legislative decisions, including full-day kindergarten, the cigarette tax increase, health care, new requirement for coroners and a scholarship program.
He said the possibility of making full-day kindergarten mandatory was discussed. However, the decision was made to phase in the program during the next four years.
The General Assembly also decided to increase the cigarette tax to 44 cents, which should help fund health care for about 130,000 Hoosiers, he said.
Davis said 240 bills were passed during the session. "All in all, I think (it was) a pretty good session," he said.
In other business, Hosier announced that the city's land application permit for sludge has been reinstated by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
The permit was revoked six months ago after high levels of an anti-corrosive material were found in the sludge. Typically, sludge is pumped from a holding pond into a truck and later spread on land near the Jay County Retirement Center.[[In-content Ad]]
An official with Mars Pet Care, 218 E. Lincoln St., (formerly known as Doane Pet Care), announced Monday night that the company plans to spend about $6 million in equipment, and building improvements and expansions.
New production lines are being added - along with 51 jobs, nearly doubling the number of employees - so the company can begin making dog food. The plant currently mostly makes dog biscuits, plant manager Doug Reed told members of the Portland City Council. Among the Mars brands of pet food are Pedigree for dogs, and Whiskas for cats.
Reed said he expects dog food production to begin in January. Company officials asked for a 10-year tax abatement on improvements and expansion of the building, and a five-year abatement on the purchase of the equipment for the production lines.
Council members Glen Bryant, Kip Robinette, Bill Gibson, Jim Sanders and Jerry Leonhard voted to send the request to the Portland Tax Abatement Advisory Committee to review. Council president Judy Aker and councilman Dolphus Stephens did not attend Monday's meeting.
"We're very thrilled," Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, said after Reed announced the expansion. "It's absolutely fantastic news." He added that the plant currently employs 52, and salaries average about $33,000 per person.
Reed said he credits Mars' employees for their hard work. "They're the ones that really made this happen," he said.
Tax abatements allow companies to pay taxes on new investments in increasing increments over several years.
Also Monday, council members were given an update on recent legislative decisions - including property tax changes - and how the decisions could impact the city.
State Rep. Bill Davis (District 33, R-Portland) told council members that one of the most difficult decisions the 115th Indiana General Assembly had to make was to change property tax policies. The recent decision is aimed at providing property tax relief by giving local units of government the option of increasing income taxes.
A representative of an Indianapolis law firm explained to council members how property tax laws have changed throughout the years. Gretchen Gutman of Sommer Barnard PC, a former senior fiscal policy analyst for the Indiana General Assembly, suggested last week that the county's adjusted gross income tax increase from 1.5 percent to 3.15 percent over the next five years.
Bryant asked her if increasing the income tax could affect the city's tax increment financing (TIF) district.
Gutman said it could. If a TIF district does not generate enough revenue to pay back bonds, then property tax revenues can be used to help pay off the bonds. If there is a shortfall and property taxes have to be used, taxes could be increased. Also, bonds can be backed up with any other sources of revenue generated in the city, such as street and water department money. She said there are 118 TIF districts in Indiana.
Hosier suggested that council members attend a Jay County Council public hearing on July 11 at 6 p.m. to give their input on the possibility of increasing the county's gross income tax. The meeting will be held in the Jay County Courthouse commissioners' room.
Davis also touched on several recent legislative decisions, including full-day kindergarten, the cigarette tax increase, health care, new requirement for coroners and a scholarship program.
He said the possibility of making full-day kindergarten mandatory was discussed. However, the decision was made to phase in the program during the next four years.
The General Assembly also decided to increase the cigarette tax to 44 cents, which should help fund health care for about 130,000 Hoosiers, he said.
Davis said 240 bills were passed during the session. "All in all, I think (it was) a pretty good session," he said.
In other business, Hosier announced that the city's land application permit for sludge has been reinstated by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
The permit was revoked six months ago after high levels of an anti-corrosive material were found in the sludge. Typically, sludge is pumped from a holding pond into a truck and later spread on land near the Jay County Retirement Center.[[In-content Ad]]
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