Over the objections of two of their own, Polk County commission members have given the county’s new Industrial Development Board (IDB) $91,523.47 from the Industrial Park Fund, $10,864 in tax money and title to all the county owned land in the Polk County and Copper Basin Industrial parks.
The decision came at the commission’s regular meeting last Thursday, July 30, at the courthouse in Benton.
Commissioners had turned down an IDB resolution asking for the funds and land when it was presented the previous month.
At a committee meeting July 14, Tim Jones, IDB vice president, told commissioners that without autonomy the IDB “is a lame duck.” He said the resolution was needed so the board could do its job and move forward.
So last Thursday night the resolution was presented again.
Property Assessor Randy Yates urged the commissioners to “give these guys the opportunity to do their job” by passing the resolution.
Commissioner Greg Brooks echoed his confidence in the IDB, saying it is the “best group of people we’ve had” in their positions.
Commissioner Samantha Trantham expressed several concerns over the power the IDB would have. She was concerned over the long-range impact on the tax rolls from possible IDB deals to give potential buyers tax breaks, and the fact that the IDB would get all the money from any sale of the industrial park land that belongs to the county.
County Attorney Eric Brooks responded that if someone built on the property and then moved out when their tax break ended that the land and any improvements would belong to the county.
Trantham explained she did not like the fact the resolution took the commissioners completely out of the picture.
She said the IDB could sell county land, and the county would get nothing at a time when the county is desperately in need of revenue.
The resolution also gives the county executive the power to execute all documents and perform all actions necessary to carry out the resolution.
“We (the commission) won’t have any say so whatsoever” in the IDB’s actions, she said. “We owe our citizens ... the right to have the final say.”
For example, she later said the IDB could sell land in the Copper Basin Industrial Park to someone who wanted to put in a landfill and the commissioners could do nothing to stop.
When Yates expressed his support for the move, he pointed out the land left in the Basin park was the worst available because of the way the park had been divided.
However, the IDB resolution passed with Trantham and Commissioner Debbie Davis passing. Voting in favor were commissioners Greg Brooks, Daniel Deal, John Pippenger, Mark Evans, James Woody and Dewey Esquinance.
District 3 Commissioner Jeremy Kimsey was not present.