The Starke County Commissioners tonight will formally consider a tax abatement request from an Illinois-based company that’s looking to move to North Judson.
Outstanding Tradeshow Exhibit Services, OTES for short, wants to buy the Thermo Products building on State Road 10 west of town and set up shop in there. The company creates tradeshow exhibits for businesses.
President Nan Wellman plans to buy and renovate the building and lease space to existing tenants Thermo Product and Kemin Industries.
The company is seeking real estate and personal property tax abatements worth about $1 million total over the next 10 years from the county, as well as a designation of the property as an economic revitalization area. The Starke County Council granted non-binding preliminary approval of those request at their June meeting and set the matter for public hearing tonight.
Last month Wellman told the council Illinois is, quote, “killing me in taxes.”
Tonight’s Starke County Council meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at the annex building. Other business on tonight’s agenda includes consideration of a resolution on encumberances for the coming year and the scheduling of budget workshops.
The Starke County Commissioners are also scheduled to meet this evening at the conclusion of the council meeting. They will open bids for a bridge replacement, review price quotes from CenturyLink and Mediacom for fiber optic cable and discuss a list of violations at Bass Lake Beach and Campground. Their meeting will begin at 6 p.m. or at the conclusion of the county council meeting.
