St. Joseph County Council

The city of South Bend, St. Joseph County and the Michiana Council of Governments would create a new nonprofit to administer the land bank program. It aims to reduce the number of vacant properties and create new affordable housing opportunities in blighted neighborhoods.

On the St. Joseph County Council, Democrats say businesses that receive property tax breaks should use mostly local firms to build projects while Republicans say the county's abatement process is too complicated and cumbersome for businesses.

New York-based New Carlisle 25 LLC has refused to disclose the name of the company it would build the data center for. The St. Joseph County Council has granted their request to postpone their vote on a rezoning the project needs from Wednesday's meeting to the council's Dec. 9 meeting.

St. Joseph County council members clash over a proposed update to the county’s tax abatement policy, debating timing, transparency, and how simple it should be.

The New Carlisle Town Council voted 4-0 Tuesday for a resolution opposing a developer's request to rezone over 1,000 acres of farmland near New Carlisle for a data center. A St. Joseph County Council committee will vote on the rezoning Tuesday before the full council votes Nov. 11.

Republican County Council President Dan Schaetzle voted with Democrats to approve the budget, saying economic development director Bill Schalliol deserves more money for the big projects he's helped land.

A St. Joseph County Sheriff Department investigation in 2022 found that 82-year-old James Belkiewitz owned four massage parlors where Chinese women who had been trafficked were being forced to work and were living at the businesses. A new county council ordinance aims to stop such situations.

After receiving the St. Joseph County Area Plan Commission's unfavorable recommendation Tuesday, the rezoning request needed for a data center near New Carlisle goes to the county council for a final vote Sept. 23.

St. Joseph County parks officials, after the county council approved $2.1 million of funding in June, are eager to finally build a park on Anderson Park land they've owned for 22 years. They hope to receive bids again at a special meeting Sept. 30.

The St. Joseph County Council-passed zoning change would force solar developers to compensate property owners within a mile if their property values decline after a solar farm starts operating.