(Posted April 1, 2016)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
The first review of two enterprise zone agreements made in 2014 show two Madison County companies outperforming expectations.
On March 28, David Kell, executive director of Madison County Future Community Improvement Corp., updated the county commissioners on agreements made with Mount Sterling Holdings LLC and M.H. Eby Inc. Both received tax abatements on building expansions completed in 2014.
Mount Sterling Holdings built a 100,000 square-foot, $5 million addition to the Mount Sterling facility it leases to Keihin Thermal Technology, which ships air conditioning parts for the automotive industry.
Mount Sterling Holdings received a 75 percent property tax abatement for 10 years on the addition. As part of the agreement, Keihin committed to creating 90 new jobs in the first three years. In just one-and-a-half years, Keihin has created 188 jobs, bringing the total number of employees at the site to 531.
“That’s a huge story for Mount Sterling,” said Paul Gross, county commissioner.
M.H. Eby Inc. built a 17,700 square-foot, $1 million addition to its facility in Jefferson Township. They make aluminum livestock trailers and truck beds.
Eby received a 60 percent property tax abatement for 10 years on the addition. As part of the agreement, the company committed to creating 12 new jobs in the first three years. In just one-and-a-half years, Eby has created 35 new jobs, bringing the total number of employees at the site to 100.
The county commissioners approved both agreements for continuance. They will review them annually for compliance through the end of the 10-year terms.
“These are good agreements that are productive for the county and good for the businesses and the schools,” said David Dhume, commissioner.
Health Needs Assessment
In other action on March 28, the commissioners approved a contract with Wright State University to complete a community health needs assessment.
Coordinated by Madison County Family Council, the assessment is conducted every three years. The county hires an outside firm to survey randomly selected residents on an array of health-related topics, from tobacco use to substance abuse.
The cost to conduct the assessment is $21,000. The county will cover $10,000. The rest will be split among three community partners: Madison Health, $8,000; Community Action, $2,000; and United Way, $1,000.
As for when the survey will take place, Lori Dodge-Dorsey, director of the Madison County Department of Job & Family Services, said, “It’s on the fast track because Madison Health needs it fairly soon for their accreditation.”
Health Insurance
The commissioners voted to increase the county’s liability insurance for health care coverage of county employees from $7 million to $8 million. It means a $783 annual increase in premiums for the county.
The county’s net health insurance costs will be 4.12 percent lower than last year, thanks to negotiations made by the consortium to which the county belongs.
