County Council Approves Compliance Filings June 25, 2024 Report Huntington County Council approved compliance filings (Forms CF-1) associated with tax abatements previously approved for four companies. The projects reflected investments of private capital of over $41 million. No new abatements were presented for consideration and the companies involved had previously been found in compliance with the metrics required for the County to continue the abatements. Huntington County Council is the designating body for tax abatements for investments which occur in un-incorporated areas of Huntington County. The tax abatement process in Indiana began in 1977 during the administration of former Governor Otis Bowen and was continued by Governors Orr, Bayh, O'Bannon, Kernan, Daniels, Pence, and Holcomb and the various Indiana General Assembly sessions over the last 47 years. The process allows for the phasing-in of property tax liabilities associated with major investments taking place within areas designated as Economic Revitalization Areas, or ERA's. Tax abatements are not monetary payments from the municipalities to companies, but instead are discounted payments from the companies involved to the municipal units of government. Also, abatements are only associated with new investments. They do not change previously existing tax liabilities. Taxpayers who receive approval for abatements are required to file annual compliance documents to report their progress on the originally estimated investments and job creation expectations. Those annual forms include CF-1's. When considering the compliance documents, the County Council reviews 4 elementary questions: 1. Did the company involved achieve the investment total as estimated in their original application?2. Did the company involved achieve the job creation and retention estimates as presented in their original application?3. Did the company file the compliance forms in a timely manner?4. Has County Council previously approved compliance forms associated with the abatement? (For example, if a 10 year abatement was originally approved and the company is filing their 6th compliance form, were the previous forms viewed as compliant?) CF-1s were approved as filed by: Commodity Blenders, LLC; Doc's Crane & Rigging; R & M Terminals (formerly Gladieux Trading & Marketing and Refinery); and Heartland REMC as associated with their rural broadband project. County Council asks volunteers from the Community and relevant County employees to organize informally to make an unofficial review of the materials in advance of the County Council Meeting in order to make the Council's deliberations an easier process. The group is referred to as the Tax Abatement Advisory Committee, but again, does not have any authority to approve or disapprove an abatement. Mark Wickersham of the Huntington County Economic Development Corporation serves informally as a clerk for the committee presented to County Council observations from the committee and expressed appreciation for the companies having made significant investments and job opportunities available in Huntington County. Council approved the CF-1s without objection.