Commission sets public hearing Feb. 12 for Harmony Grove TIF boundary amendment

The Monongalia County Commission voted Jan. 8 to begin the notification and public-hearing process for a proposed amendment that would add a parcel adjacent to the existing Harmony Grove tax increment financing (TIF) district.

Jason Turner, bond counsel with Steptoe & Johnson, said the parcel is adjacent to the existing TIF and that including it would increase tax increment revenues available to pay for public infrastructure in the project area. Turner described the next steps: publication of two notices, a public hearing set for Feb. 12 during the commission’s regular meeting, statutory notices to affected taxing bodies and (if the commission later votes to submit the application) a state review period of up to 60 days.

Turner said, “This is a standard procedure” for boundary amendments and outlined that there will be a resolution following the public hearing to authorize submission to the state if the commission chooses to proceed. He added that, if the state approves the amendment, the commission would enter a subsequent order adopting the amendment.

Commissioners asked for electronic copies of application exhibits; counsel agreed to provide them for commission review. The motion approved at the Jan. 8 meeting authorized publication of required notices and scheduling of the Feb. 12 public hearing only; no decision on the underlying petition was made at this meeting.

Ending

If submitted after the hearing, the application will go to the state for review (statutory 60-day period cited by bond counsel); the commission will take any final adoption action after the state review and any required further proceedings.