LEBANON — Boone County officials have taken steps over the past two weeks to prevent millions in tax revenue loss for multiple municipalities. To prevent that loss, the county has opted to spend as much as $400,000 to fight a property tax assessment appeal filed by the Meijer store in Whitestown.
The Boone County commissioners and council have each authorized proceeding with the appeal after Boone County Assessor Lisa Garofollo and county attorney Bob Clutter made their case.
Clutter said Meijer and several other big box stores have been filing assessment appeals all over the Midwest.
Locally, the Meijer appeal is for all tax years since the store opened in Whitestown in 2014. Garofollo said that if the appeal is successful, the county would have to pay back $300,000 to $375,000 for each year Meijer has
appealed.
The county is not the only entity that stands to lose money, as the store also pays taxes to the town of Whitestown, Zionsville Community Schools and the Hussey-Mayfield Public Library.
Going forward, each entity would also get that much less money from Meijer in property taxes, which would amount to millions in lost revenue in the coming years.
The Whitestown Lowe’s and CVS stores and the Lebanon Menards have also filed appeals.
In their tax appeals, the big box stores assert that all retail buildings should be assessed and appraised the same for property tax purposes; whether it’s an occupied building like the Whitestown Meijer or an empty one like the former Lebanon Big Lots.