tax abatement

After Microsoft announced it won't seek property tax breaks for its data centers, four St. Joseph County Council members have asked Amazon to renegotiate their $4 billion property tax abatement over 35 years.

Now that Microsoft has announced a national policy of forgoing local property tax breaks for its data centers, four of the St. Joseph County Council's five Republicans have sent Amazon Web Services a letter asking it to renegotiate the 35-year, $4 billion property tax abatement it's receiving from the county for its New Carlisle data center under development.

Developer David Matthews' bankruptcy filing comes three years after the city of South Bend sued him, seeking $7.5 million in tax incentives and penalties because he failed to incorporate a grocery store in his apartment high-rise project.

St. Joseph County Council member Amy Drake says the county gave Amazon too many incentives and tax breaks for its data center near New Carlisle, so she's glad Microsoft won't seek a property tax abatement when it starts building a data center near Granger this year.

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.

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.

Residents on South Bend’s west side say they’re reeling from the announcement that the Western Avenue Kroger will shut its doors later this summer.

St. Joseph County Council Republicans Amy Drake and Andy Rutten say its time for the county to follow the Supreme Court's and Trump administration's leads on ending affirmative action.

Council committee chair Troy Warner says the developer's lender and investors could pay off the back taxes and buy the apartment high-rise

Developer Dave Matthews says the city has granted such extensions to 14 other developers whose projects were delayed by the COVID pandemic.