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Council adopts 'Community First' tax-abatement ordinance after close 5-4 vote; BLS wage metric added
Summary
After weeks of drafting, the council passed Bill 60-25 (the "Community First Investment" ordinance) 5-4, adopting streamlined abatement rules that expand eligibility, set a 125% average-wage metric and include local-contractor preferences. Council unanimously amended the wage-source to the Bureau of Labor Statistics earlier in the hearing.
The Saint Joseph County Council on Nov. 12 approved a major rewrite of its tax-abatement rules, adopting the "Community First Investment" ordinance (Bill 60-25) in a 5-4 vote after public comment and a unanimous amendment to change the county's wage-data source to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The ordinance: Sponsored by multiple council members, the measure condenses the county's abatement ordinance from roughly 24 pages to 9 pages, expands who may apply (including new provision to consider housing development), sets a minimum average-wage requirement for abatement recipients at 125% of the county average wage, and includes language prioritizing use of local contractors and subcontractors where practicable. During debate the council…
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