Hubbard County EDA to buy tax-forfeited parcels for industrial development

Hubbard County’s Economic Development Authority on an agreement of the county board approved moving forward to purchase tax‑forfeited parcels for future industrial development, the board said during its meeting.

County staff said the purchase is intended to secure parcels so the EDA can plan marketing, road design and infrastructure cost estimates ahead of actively marketing sites to potential businesses. Mary (staff member) told the board the likely funding source is Fund 91 (the combined HRA/EDA fund), which carried a 2025 balance the staff described as roughly $464,000 plus a $100,000 acquisition allocation and $51,000 from a recent land sale — leaving just “over $600,000” available to use for property purchase and related costs.

The board discussed the mechanics of the sale and how proceeds from any later resale will be handled. Mary explained the county will record the parcels in the EDA’s name after the EDA completes the purchase and the state processes the deed transfer from tax‑forfeited status. She said proceeds from future sales will be processed through Natural Resource Management and distributed following standard tax‑forfeited land receipts, including distributions to taxing jurisdictions.

Board members asked about how the transaction affects other taxing districts and whether the transfer will be a check or book entry; Mary said the parcel transfer will appear on the HRA/EDA balance sheet as land held as an invested or fixed asset until resale. The board voted and carried the motion to proceed with the purchase and deed transfer process.

The EDA and county will next prepare a marketing plan and begin design work tied to potential infrastructure needs for industrial development.

Ending: Board members said they expect subsequent meetings will present specific plats, road designs and budget requests tied to infrastructure once the EDA identifies potential buyers and a development plan.