County officials are working on development opportunities in Dunkirk.

Jay County Commissioners agreed Monday to transfer 19 properties to Dunkirk Industrial Development Corp. (DIDC)

Jay County Development Corp. executive director Ceann Bales explained the 19 properties in Dunkirk were up for tax sale, with four of them including houses. The hope is to remove the existing structures and look for private developers to build. For lots that may not have the capacity for construction, they could be offered to adjoining property owners.

In order to move forward with those plans, Bales suggested commissioners transfer the properties to DIDC.

“That’s my pitch to you, to say, give up the county’s income of this, the potential sale of these properties with the risk of, and the investment in and the potential of, flipping these lots and building new homes at a smaller scale within the City of Dunkirk.”

There are currently 30 properties that have not sold in the last two tax sales. More than $150,600 in back taxes are owed on those properties. Dunkirk makes up the largest portion of the list with 19 properties, for a total of just over $96,000 in back taxes owed.

Per Indiana law, after the properties go through two tax sales with no buyer, they are acquired by commissioners and may be transferred through a certificate sale for redevelopment.

“I mean, it’s sitting here with this balance, it’s like EMS, they bill for something, and they may never get paid for it,” said commissioners president Chad Aker. “And, we may never collect taxes on this and it just sits here, at least this gives the potential for these (nonprofit organizations) to come in and maybe get these properties back on the tax rolls where we can start collecting tax on this, not to mention additional housing.”

“It’s an investment, in my opinion, and maybe get these back on the tax rolls, and also clean up the properties, clean up the cities, clean up the towns,” he added.

County attorney Wes Schemenaur recalled Dunkirk’s work with an Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs grant program that allowed the city to tear down dilapidated houses and sell the properties at low prices to encourage development.

“We’ve had a lot of success with that in Dunkirk over the last 10 years of doing it this way,” he said.

Bales noted JCDC would work with DIDC throughout the process, including looking for developers. She said she also plans to approach the City of Portland to gauge its interest in such a program. (Four properties in Portland are on the list, with a total of $45,200 in back taxes owed.)

Commissioners then agreed to transfer the properties.
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