County TIF plan is updated

The fourth and final step in the process is complete.

Jay County Redevelopment Commission approved a confirmatory resolution Wednesday, formally adopting its updated economic development plan for the county’s tax increment financing (TIF) district.

Jay County’s TIF district includes about 191 acres southwest of Portland in Greene Township. It has been generating dollars for 15 years and has been used to pay off bonds associated with road work and sewer improvements near the ethanol plant in that area. After Jay County made its final bond payment in 2023 for the project, Jay County Redevelopment Commission began looking into options for how to spend the TIF district funding — about $550,000 accrued annually for the next 13 years.

The newly updated economic development plan — the original document dates back to 2007 when the TIF district was created — includes a list of potential projects: transportation enhancements, public safety enhancements, utility infrastructure, highway garage improvements, a new building for Jay County Solid Waste Management District, a new public safety building and planning and development of the county’s 68 acres on the western edge of Portland.

TIF funding could also be used as a local match for state and federal grants. Jay County Redevelopment Commission is also not tied to using specific amounts of TIF dollars for the aforementioned projects, but the plan is intended to serve as a guide moving forward. 

It’s also a document that is needed in order to apply for grants.

Ed Curtin of CWC Latitudes started putting together a draft of the plan in March, with commission members approving it in April. The plan was slightly adjusted in May — the commission removed a section allowing contracts for educational and training programs, which had been added in April, and made a few small changes in the language — before Jay County Plan Commission and Jay County Commissioners approved it the following month. 

Redevelopment commission members held a public hearing Wednesday in relation to the plan updates with no comments made.

Curtin noted Wednesday’s public hearing and resolution mark the final step in the process for updating and adopting the plan. From here, the county will file the information with Jay County Auditor’s Office and Indiana Department of Local Government and Finance.

Also Wednesday, during a less than five-minute meeting, commission members Chuck Huffman, Carl Walker, Brian McGalliard, Faron Parr and Ted Champ approved a $4,260 claim from consulting firm Baker Tilly for its services.