A prolonged discussion at the Vanderburgh County Council meeting focused on proposed revisions to the county/city tax phase-in scoring sheet, the tool the county uses to evaluate tax incentives for development projects.

Several council members said employment should remain a chief criterion. One member warned the council to avoid changes that would make employment a lesser factor and said any substantive edits must come before the full council. Economic development staff and council members who helped draft the revised scorecard said the updates add additional community-impact variables intended to keep the county competitive with neighboring jurisdictions that do not use formal scorecards.

Pat Hickey, who participated in drafting the revised document with city and county representatives, said the working group held multiple meetings with developers and local stakeholders to create a version that better reflects what outside developers are seeking. Hickey and other supporters said the revised scorecard is intended to preserve employment as an important factor while adding additional metrics.

Council direction: members asked staff to circulate a marked (redline) version of the old and proposed scorecard and to include comparative information about incentives used by neighboring counties. Staff agreed to provide the redline and the underlying rationale and to make time for either a public discussion of the draft or smaller working-group reviews so all seven council members can provide input.

Why it matters: The scorecard guides how the county evaluates tax-phase-in requests and therefore affects which projects receive incentives and on what terms. Council members said transparency and full participation by all seven members are essential before adopting substantial changes.

What’s next: Staff will circulate the draft, a redline and comparative research on neighboring counties’ incentives, and the council will schedule further review sessions so the full council can weigh in before any formal change is approved.