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Commission member says declaratory resolution tied to Toyota project is 'dangerous' and needs more scrutiny
Summary
Redevelopment commissioner Larry Mikl criticized a declaratory resolution connected to a Toyota-area TIF, calling it risky and objecting to 100% tax capture and possible land‑purchase language; commissioners said the declaratory step simply starts public hearings and that confirmatory language can be modified.
Larry Mikl, a longtime member of the Gibson County Redevelopment Commission, used public comment at the commission's meeting to sharply criticize a declaratory resolution tied to a Toyota‑area tax increment financing (TIF) project, saying the document as drafted "is the most dangerous and the most expensive" the county has seen.
"It not only provides infrastructure ... to Toyota ... there's also language here to purchase real estate," Mikl said, arguing the document risks creating "corporate welfare" and placing an unfair long‑term burden on county taxpayers. He said the resolution appeared without prior discussion on the redevelopment commission agenda and that he had been prevented from discussing it before a planned vote.
Mikl cited examples he said show inequity in how infrastructure costs have been handled, saying one private landowner paid about $350,000 to extend sewer and water for a business. Mikl also highlighted a provision he read as enabling a 100% tax capture for 25 years and said local school corporations and county government could face budget uncertainty as a result.
Commission members responded that the declaratory resolution is the procedural step that starts public hearings and that a separate confirmatory document — filed later in the process — can be modified to change terms such as capture percentage. A commission member thanked Mikl for his service and said commissioners were reviewing the language and exploring whether it could be rewritten before any final action.
The commission did not adopt a final confirmatory instrument at the meeting. Staff said Ice Miller, the bond counsel firm, drafted the declaratory resolution at the redevelopment commission's direction; commission members emphasized that public hearings and the confirmatory stage allow for changes to the proposal before anything becomes final.
The commission signaled it would continue work on the language and hold the statutorily required public hearings, giving the public an opportunity to comment before any confirmatory filing. The commission's next meeting is scheduled for June 1 at 7:00 p.m. in Princeton.
(Reporting note: quotes and procedural descriptions are based on the meeting transcript. The commission's statement that confirmatory language can be modified reflects commissioners' explanation during the meeting.)
