For the second time, the Knox City Council tabled a request to approve tax abatement forms for Hoosier Custom Plastics. The council again noted that the company is in compliance to the terms of the abatement, but Council Attorney David Matsey questioned some of the dates and other pertinent information on the forms.
Starke County Development Foundation Executive Director Charles Weaver was in attendance and agreed to help research documents in the clerk-treasurer’s office and county assessor’s office that would help company officials fill out the forms. He offered the opinion that the informational problems may originate with the company’s C.P.A. firm. He says other companies, both locally and throughout the state, are facing similar problems.
The compliance issue is not the problem, as all those present acknowledged that Hoosier Custom Plastics is in compliance with what was promised at the time tax abatement was granted.
“In the tax phase-in that was granted several years ago, they made certain commitments, and they have exceeded all of them,” Weaver said.
Again the council tabled the request until the June 26 meeting, asking Weaver and company representatives to be available to answer questions on some of the paperwork.
Weaver said, and the council agreed, that this is not a problem that is unique to Hoosier Custom Plastics. In the future, all industry granted tax abatement by the city will have to follow suit in its yearly compliance reports.
