Fifth District State Senator Ed Charbonneau, of Valparaiso, has championed a bill that passed the state legislature this year that would allow local communities to eliminate personal property tax on equipment for potential companies. This, according to Charbonneau, will make Northern Indiana more appealing to hi-tech companies with high paying jobs to consider locating in our area.
“We’re doing whatever we can as a state to remain one of the best states for business friendliness because that means we’re going to be attractive to bringing new jobs into the state,” stated Charbonneau.
Before the passage of this bill, state and local development directors were working at a disadvantage in competition with neighboring states.
“Indiana is one of the few states that still taxes personal property. I know that our neighbors in Illinois and Ohio do not. For that reason, it is very difficult for us to compete for hi-tech companies that have to invest a lot of money in equipment that goes out of date quickly. So, if this equipment becomes obsolete in a matter of two to three years, they’ve got to invest money all over again in that equipment.”
Charbonneau explains exactly what the bill allows units of government to do.
“What the bill does is allow local units of government, if they want to encourage investment by hi-tech companies, to exempt that personal property tax if they want to.”
State Senator Ed Charbonneau will represent all of Starke County until November. If he wins re-election, he will only have North Bend, California, Wayne, and Railroad Townships. Senator Jim Arnold, if he wins re-election, would have the top five townships in the county.
