Plan commission forwards creation of Tax Incremental District No. 43 to city council after unanimous vote

The Janesville Plan Commission on March 3 recommended that City Council create Tax Incremental District No. 43, forwarding the proposed boundary and project plan after a unanimous voice vote.

Harry Allen, municipal adviser with Ehlers, presented the district as an industrial-type TID intended to capture taxes on new development to pay for streets, sewer, water and stormwater infrastructure and pay-as-you-go incentives for private developers. Allen told commissioners the parcel was recently annexed from the Town of Rock and previously was agricultural land that will require substantial infrastructure buildout to support industrial development.

Allen said the current plan anticipates roughly $115,000,000 in new taxable value across several planned buildings — an initial two buildings near County G estimated at about $30 million, a second building estimated at $30 million, and a larger future building estimated at $55 million. Project costs in the plan include a land purchase cost of $4,600,000, phase 1 infrastructure and design, pay-as-you-go incentives modeled at a high level (75% of increment for up to 10 years per project in the high-level scenario), payments to the Town of Rock, financing interest and administrative costs. Allen gave a total project-cost estimate of about $30,700,000 and projected roughly $36,000,000 in tax-increment revenues over the life of the district. On that basis the plan shows the district could close by about 2044, two to three years before the statutory maximum.

Allen also described the multistep creation process: introduction at plan commission, a joint review board (the panel of overlapping taxing entities) review earlier that day, tonight’s public hearing and resolution action, subsequent City Council action (scheduled April 14) and a final joint review board decision (scheduled April 28).

No members of the public spoke during the hearing. Commissioner Williams moved to adopt Plan Commission Resolution 2025-01 to adopt the project plan and designate the district boundary and to forward creation of TID No. 43 to City Council with a favorable recommendation, noting the commission had not reviewed the financial aspects of the transaction. Commissioner Jackson seconded. A voice vote recorded “yes” from Commissioners Bowerman, Madera, Dangara, Jackson, Voskal, Williams and Mark Klein; the motion was unanimously approved.

The resolution and project plan will proceed to City Council for consideration as scheduled. The plan commission record notes the joint review board gave a positive advisory recommendation earlier the same day. The commission also recorded that detailed financing and any developer incentives would be subject to later negotiation and a developer agreement approved by City Council and other affected taxing jurisdictions.