After a series of disagreements made public by the Jerome Township Trustees and Union County Commissioners, one official is urging the boards to resume work toward an economic development agreement.
“The politics of money sometimes gets in the way of what should be common goals,” Trustee Barry Adler said during the trustees regular meeting Tuesday.
Adler signed his name on the public comments sheet, noting that he wanted to ensure he had an opportunity to speak on the topic. His statement was shared during the public participation portion of the meeting.
Although he said he feels he “may be in the minority,” Adler expressed a “desire to return to the negotiating table.”
In a statement shared by the Board of Trustees during a special meeting May 30, Trustee Megan Sloat said the township has been working with Union County officials for over two years to come to an agreement regarding a Cooperative Economic Development Agreement (CEDA).
Adler said Tuesday, “However, due to the actions of several parties, that tentative agreement fell apart. This set off a chain of further actions that resulted in basically a jab and counter-jab about who will be controlling and deciding how tax funds would be collected and public improvements funded through TIFs or Tax Increment Financing.”
Last month, Sloat said negotiations came to a halt because the trustees came to believe the “negotiations weren’t in good faith” after the commissioners initiated tax incentives with area school districts and removed a super majority Economic Development Board vote.
Adler said he is hopeful both boards can take a step back and find common ground, noting that he felt the parties were “close” to an agreement in March.
He said he feels the way business is currently being done is detrimental to the township, county and both of their residents.
“We need to stop airing our differences in the press and stop negotiating with school boards and other entities behind closed doors and stop trying to see who can outdo the other for legal advantages,” Adler said.
Adler said he is worried that prospective businesses “are seeing disarray and will likely look elsewhere to invest their dollars, jobs and projects.”
While compromise will be necessary, Adler said he feels a partnership between Jerome Township and Union County will be most beneficial to both.
“We were very close to agreeing on what seemed to be insurmountable differences and I would hope that we could take a step back and reexamine some key differences with the hopes of finding some changes that can be made to repair the distrust that has festered between the county and township,” he said.
Trustee Chair Wezlynn Davis said Adler’s comments took her by surprise.
“It’s news to me that you may not have been in support of this action,” Davis said.
During a May 10 special meeting, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously on several actions, some of which included:
– Offering a TIF revenue sharing agreement with Union County providing for the construction and funding of Houchard Road and providing a 50/50 split of TIF revenue up to $50 million in TIF funds to the county for road improvement projects.
– Placing an item on the November ballot that will allow residents to determine whether the township should adopt a limited home rule form of government.
– Expanding and creating additional 10-year, 75% TIFs over non-residential parcels, including Hall’s Corner. Trustees noted that intend to amend the incentives into 30-year, 100% TIFs to make affected school districts whole.
Although it was approved with a 2-1 vote, Adler did vote against a motion to withdraw from the Union County Economic Development Incentive Policy (EDIP).
While Davis noted Tuesday that he seconded the motion on that matter, he said it was to allow for a vote, in which he dissented.
Davis then emphasized that she has “no ill feelings” toward Union County but feels that “sometimes things just don’t work out.”
Wednesday morning, Davis sent a statement to the Journal-Tribune indicating “there is an offer on the table to the county right now” though county officials have not yet responded.
She said the “offer” references the 50/50 revenue sharing of township TIF funds up to $50 million. During the May special meeting, Sloat said that offer was initially “rejected outright.”
Ultimately, Adler suggested scheduling another joint meeting in which township and county officials can “work cooperatively in support of common goals.”
“We can accomplish more by working together,” he said.
In her email Wednesday, Davis said “we’ve not shut the door to working together.”