Wind turbine revenue funding county projects

A quiet county meeting was held with two opportunities for the public to speak on TIF revenue for the county’s capital projects and the conversion of a rural road to level A.

The Union County board of supervisors passed two resolutions during their Wednesday meeting after two public hearings.

One resolution, which sparked a larger discussion led by Maggie Burger of Speer Financial, approves adopting an amendment to the Union County Wind Farm Urban Renewal Plan.

The Urban Renewal Plan was adopted in September 2022 to develop areas of Union County for the purpose of commercial and industrial development. The amendment to the plan authorizes additional TIF revenues from wind turbines to be used for financing capital projects.

Wind turbines in Union County generate property taxes for TIF revenues.

These TIF revenues will come from the sale of a second bond issuance. The renewal plan has used $4 million of the $5 million from the first bond issuance and requires additional funding to complete capital projects.

Since 2022, Union County has received property taxes from 34 turbines in the urban renewal area, located in the northwest of the county with the majority in Spaulding township. The board noted the taxing entities of the Creston and O-M school districts were contacted for the amendment, receiving no concerns.

The board also approved a resolution which ends a month-long discussion around the classification of a rural road. About 182 feet of 220th Street will receive county coverage with an increased classification from a level B road to a level A road.

Loretta Harvey of Mullin, Mullin & Harvey Law attended the hearing and answered any final questions the board had about the improvement. The $5,000 project was offered to be funded by Harvey’s client, the Melissa Fils Supplemental Trust. The county will now maintain the road with the level A classification.

In other Union County news...

Tax abatement requests from the city of Creston were approved for a couple abandoned nuisance properties. The abatement will waive property taxes on properties the city owns from court orders. Housing on those properties have already been demolished with the city’s goal of putting the properties back on the tax roll.

Supervisors approved the United States Department of Transportation’s Title VI agreement. The agreement assures Union County will follow regulations around anti-discrimination laws set in place as early as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The board approved a liquor license to Champion Steaks, allowing the business to sell products containing alcohol for the next year of operation.