County officials are asking a Jerome Township landowner for help making infrastructure improvements in the area at Monday night’s township trustee meeting.
While the request was made in private, John Wirchanski gave a very public answer at the meeting.
Wirchanski said the county has asked him to donate land to help with improvements at Hyland Croy Road. County Administrator Tim Hansley confirmed the county has been in negotiations to have Wirchanski donate land for the improvements. Wirchanski said Hansley has been “very gracious to me,” though other Marysville and county officials have not.
“Therefore, negotiations with me will begin with a $200,000 deficit to be paid by Union County to the Schottenstein/Jacquemin developers to make up for the extortion by Commissioner (Gary) Lee,” Wirchanski said. “Then we can begin our negotiations for my personal land.”
Schottenstein Real Estate Group is the developer behind the Jacquemin Grand development.
Earlier in the meeting, Wirchanski expressed concerns about how county officials handled the final approval process for Jacquemin Grand. In April, the commissioners voted 1-1 — with Commissioner Steve Stolte voting for, Lee voting against and Commissioner Charles Hall absent — on a proposed infrastructure agreement. The vote meant that against recommendation of the county prosecutor, engineer and administrator, the commissioners rejected the agreement, which called for the developer to contribute $1.1 million in cash and infrastructure improvements.
When he initially rejected the agreement, Lee expressed frustration that Jerome Township officials had stepped around the county and negotiated their own tax incentive with the developer. Lee said he didn’t know if he could legally base his no-vote on his frustration, but he was doing it.
“It is clear to me and everyone who knows the background, that this extortion by Commissioner Lee was a clear message that he wants to punish Jerome Township,” Wirchanski said. “He said as much in his remarks afterward, mentioning the tax financing agreement which helps Jerome Township.”
Trustee Ron Rhodes agreed.
“It didn’t look right. It is not right. And I think you are right, I think Jerome Township is being punished,” Rhodes said. “This goes back years. Dublin wanted the area where Jacquemin Farms is and they didn’t get it, so that’s our punishment.”
Days later, Lee changed his vote and the development was approved. The approval came after Schottenstein agreed to give $200,000 to the Union County General Fund.
“What Commissioner Lee unknowingly did was broadcast to the development community that to do business in Jerome Township, there will now be an extra extortion fee due at the end of the process,” Wirchanski said. “He used poor judgment and took a short-term view, not recognizing how detrimental his actions will be to the future of Union County. He will cost county taxpayers much more than the $200,000.”
Rhodes said Lee’s comments “upset me a little bit.”
He said the township’s tax increment financing, or TIF, produced more money for infrastructure because the property was rezoned. He said county officials have not worked with township officials to create tax incentive agreements in the past.
“It cost us a lot of money,” Rhodes said.
He also acknowledged Wirchanski is correct about the hesitancy of developers to work in Union County.
He said he has already been asked what it takes to do business in the community. He said it is “a serious concern” that developers will get deep into the process from a time and financial standpoint, then, “the county is going to want another $100-$200,000, over and above what’s already been negotiated.”
“And it’s not going down well for the developers down here,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes said he doesn’t know how to answer the questions.