Shelby County Development makes case to commissioners

Shelby County Development Corp. treasurer Larry Martin gives a 45-minute presentation to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners Monday night, highlighting the history of the organization, its accomplishments and future goals. NEWS photo by BETTINA PUCKETT

While Shelby County’s $50,000 EDIT contribution to the Shelby County Development Corp. for the 2006 calendar year remains uncertain, the SCDC was assured Monday night that the 2005 payment will be made.

“The (Economic Development Income Tax) payment for 2005 was approved,” said Doug Warnecke, president of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners.

That payment issue may be settled at the next meeting of the commissioners, scheduled for Halloween. But the 2006 payment remains up in the air, even after a 45-minute presentation by SCDC Treasurer Larry Martin that covered nearly every aspect of the nonprofit group — from its history to its present-day accomplishments.

Martin reported that the SCDC had played a major role in getting six companies — Ryobi Die Casting Inc., Pilkington North American, Triumph Group Operations, Yuma Industries, PK USA and Toray Resin Co. — to locate their operations in Shelby County.

“The total property taxes the companies will pay during 2005 are $4,526,007.44,” Martin said. “The county’s portion of the tax is $677,676.”

Martin said the SCDC received payroll information from three of the six companies. “The total amount of income taxes received from the employees living in Shelby County is approximately $350,000 per year,” he said.

During his presentation, Martin talked about the SCDC’s history, saying that it was incorporated on June 16, 1987. “The mission of the Shelby County Development Corp. is to increase compatible investment in Shelby County and to assist with quality job development while increasing the overall quality of life,” he said.

Governmental memberships are at least $50,000 per year, he said. Corporate/Business memberships are $3,500 per year.

Martin said the reason the governmental membership fee is higher is that governments have the potential to receive more economic benefit from the efforts of the SCDC than the other members.

He also spoke of SCDC executive director Dan Theobald’s qualifications. When Theobald was mayor of Shelbyville, he was heavily involved in bringing new businesses to the community, he said.

“Dan knows the mayors of various cities, the executive directors of the various counties, state representatives and senators, national representatives and senators, and the list goes on and on,” Martin said. “Contacts with the appropriate people are very valuable. These contacts and personal relationships do not happen in a short period of time. It takes years.

“Without Dan, who would these people call?” he asked. “Would they call you?”

Martin presented a number of exhibits with his presentation, including a letter dated Monday from Greg Schenkel, president and CEO of Indy Partnership, of which the SCDC belongs. Schenkel encouraged the county commissioners “to carefully consider a continuation of EDIT funding for 2006” for the SCDC at a level at least equal to that of 2005.

“While the Indy Partnership brings about a coordinated approach for marketing and communicating the region’s strengths to the nation, it is crucial that our county partners have viable, aggressive economic development organizations within each county,” Schenkel wrote. “Each county partner is an integral part of this regional effort!”

Shelby County Commissioner Tony Newton pointed out what he feels is a perception problem regarding the SCDC. Newton said he had received letters from all over Shelby County, including Shelbyville. “People out there in the county think you are doing very little for what (EDIT money) you are receiving,” Newton said.

Also discussed was the role that the SCDC played in Tillison Farms, the two-county development that was rejected by the county commissioners last summer. Martin said that Theobald initially wanted to get a commercial development on the Pleasant View property, but that county and school officials told the developer they needed housing in that area.

“As a result, the developer began drawing the plans for a housing development,” he said.

Martin said a little less than $4,000 was paid for newspaper and radio advertisements in a campaign to support the housing development.

“It seems that it would have been money better spent to have a full-page ad to show (the SCDC’s) accomplishments,” Newton said.

Newton said Martin’s presentation had helped him more clearly understand what the SCDC does.

Martin said he believed the SCDC was gaining momentum in 2002 and 2003 and that the community was beginning to come together. “Then, all of a sudden, we hit Tillison Farms, and it started going south,” he said.

Warnecke said SCDC has become a lightning rod for a lot of economic development issues. Tillison Farms was a step backward, he said. “But as painful as they are, these discussions have to be held,” he said.

As county officials move ahead with the rewriting of the county’s comprehensive plan, Warnecke said the document “will not answer all of our economic issues.”

The final typed version of the EDIT plan will not be presented to the commissioners until their next meeting on Monday, which is Halloween.

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