The Dearborn County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt Resolution No. 006 on Dec. 2, 2025, creating the 2025 Clay Township US‑50 economic development area and allocation (a tax increment financing district).

Jim Deaton, president of the county redevelopment commission, told commissioners the TIF is the final step before public meetings and that the plan conforms to the county’s comprehensive plan. “This is our second stop and our last stop before our public meetings,” Deaton said, and he outlined two financial scenarios showing projected benefits if the allocation is established.

Anthony Smart, attorney for the redevelopment commission, said parcel‑sizing rules required some allocation boundaries to include large contiguous tracts near the US‑50 corridor. Smart said that constraint makes parts of the allocation look large on maps even when the practical development area is corridor‑oriented.

Redevelopment officials said the allocation would capture revenue from projects already underway, including a projected $72,000 a year tied to a new SEI data center. Deaton added the TIF could generate funds to support infrastructure and cleanup needs, citing Lake Dildare as an example of an environmental problem the redevelopment commission would like to address.

Several commissioners and participants questioned the size and timing of the proposal. One commissioner said the plan ‘‘opens up’’ large areas and expressed concern that the TIF could conflict with other county priorities such as farmland and open‑space preservation. Another commissioner characterized the timing as difficult, noting the board was being asked to rule before the public hearing and broader public input.

Despite the objections, the board approved the resolution. The motion carried; during the signature process one member recorded a "nay" or abstention on the signed copy while the motion was treated as carried by the board.

The board set a public hearing on the TIF for Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. to accept public comment and continue the redevelopment process. The redevelopment commission said that if the allocation is in place before a new development is taxed, the county would capture the incremental revenue for redevelopment activities; if it is not established in time, those increments would be realized differently.

What’s next: The public hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. in the commissioners’ hearing room. The redevelopment commission will continue to provide financial details and maps at that hearing.