Eight Highland businesses could provide many taxpayers with a property-tax break this year through abatement compliance.
The Town Council at its Monday meeting approved the submission of compliance papers to the Lake County recorder’s office for People’s Bank, Culver’s, Highland Volkswagen, Reliable Parts, Indiana Grocery Group (Strack & Van Til), Circle GMC/Buick, Safety Training Services and Vyto’s Pharmacy. All the businesses, except for Vyto’s, have 10-year tax abatements.
The majority of the businesses are in the middle of their abatements, or between three and five years.
“Four years ago, we had $1.7 billion in (assessed valuation). Now, it’s $1.9 billion. I’ll take $20 million in (assessed valuation) any day,” Clerk-Treasurer Michael Griffin. said. A higher assessed valuation drives down property taxes.
Strack & Van Til kept its compliance despite considerable upheaval, Griffin noted. Part of its abatement package includes keeping a total 155 employees and $9.5 million in salary and wages paid out, according to its agreement, but it listed 93 employees and $6.1 million as its actual employees and salaries.
Because Strack’s came out of bankruptcy under new ownership in 2017 and is now recovering from that, Griffin said, the town has no reason at to believe at this time the store won’t reach its numbers.
“If it becomes an issue next year, we’ll have to deal with it,” Griffin said.
The town council also unanimously voted to approve salary and other benefits to Highland Police Officer John Swisher, who was critically injured in the line of duty during a 2016 drunk driving accident. Those payments will continue until June 9, Griffin said.
In other business, the town approved its urban forestry management plan and will establish a tree advisory board.
At a subsequent Redevelopment Commission meeting, Redevelopment Director Kathy DeGuilio-Fox told the board the utility bill for the warehouse at 2811 Jewett Ave. has become too hot to handle. A spreadsheet she provided to the commission showed the November 2017 bill alone jumped 222 percent, to $191.31 from $59.36 the year before.
“Is someone cranking up the heat in there, or are they leaving the garage door opened?” Deguilio-Fox said. “Ken (Mika, the building inspector) and I are going to take a look, because we certainly don’t charge enough in rent (to the adjacent businesses) to pay that.”
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
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