County council approves 7-year tax phase-in for Procuma at North Kentucky Avenue

Vanderburgh County Council voted unanimously to approve a preliminary resolution granting a seven-year tax phase-in to Procuma, a locally owned engineering and automation firm planning a 12,000-square-foot facility at 8301 North Kentucky Avenue.

Pat Hickey of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership presented the request, saying the project represents a $2,325,000 total investment. Hickey told council the company expects to retain 10 employees and add 12 more over five years, with starting wages for new positions around $36 per hour. EREP’s scoring placed the project on the standard seven-year schedule, which the presentation estimated would reduce county taxes by roughly $200,000 over the seven-year term.

Company partner Louis Meredith said the firm designs and builds custom assembly equipment and performs process controls, and that growth since 2017 drove the need for new space and staff. He told council the company’s current average employee salary is about $86,000 and projected average pay for newly hired shop personnel would be about $75,000 depending on role.

Council members questioned the timeline for hiring and how the EREP scorecard counts retained versus new positions. Hickey clarified the score sheet uses ‘‘retained or added’’ jobs in a five-year window; members asked for a red-line comparison of the prior and proposed score sheets so the entire council can review any changes. A councilor who joined remotely spoke as a cosponsor and emphasized due diligence, noting clawback provisions and annual compliance reviews would apply.

After clarifying the motion ‘‘as written’’ meant the seven-year schedule recommended by EREP, council took a roll-call vote. The motion passed 7–0. Council members said compliance reports will be required and urged staff to provide a clear red-line of any scoring changes for future review.