Kimball Office applies for Jasper tax abatement, could mean 30 new jobs for area

Kimball Office is seeking a tax abatement from the City of Jasper to move a line from a Post Falls, Idaho plant to two of its Jasper facilities.

The planned move would bring 30 jobs to Dubois County and require about $1,077,000 in new equipment for the two Kimball plants.

The Jasper Economic Development Commission met in a special meeting to consider a tax abatement for Kimball Office on Wednesday. This was followed by a special meeting by the Jasper Common Council to consider the commission’s recommendations later that afternoon.

Both meetings were quickly scheduled to assist Kimball in receiving consideration for a tax abatement before certain time and pricing restrictions passed.  Through the efforts of the City Attorney Renee Kabrick and the planning department the city was able to work quickly to schedule the meeting and expedite the procedure for Kimball to consider Jasper.

Kimball came to the city with the planned move of an operation from Post Falls, Idaho to a more centrally located hub as they expand into the East Coast market. The company was also considering two other locations; Salem, IN and Martinsville, VA. Representatives from the company told the council and the commission they preferred to bring the line to Jasper and thanked the city for its efforts in working quickly on the tax abatement process.

The Economic Development Commission recommended the maximum abatement for Kimball’s planned expansion. However, the Council determined their was a slight error on the application in regards to the cost vs. assessed value of the property purchases. The application reflected the cost of the equipment for Kimball Office, whereas the application requires the assessed value of the property purchased.

This difference moved the abatement down a level from the maximum amount allowed. The maximum allowable abatement is ten years of property tax abatement, eight of which the company pays no property tax on the improvements and the final two taper the payments to 100% of the property tax. The second tier is still a ten-year abatement but the company will begin to pay property taxes in the seventh year instead of the eighth.

The council approved the area Kimball Office designated for the improvements as an Economic Revitalization Area and will consider the abatement request at the next regular meeting.

Stens appeared at the Economic Development Commission meeting as well to reapply for a tax abatement in regards to $3.5 to $4 million in improvements it will make at the Columbus Container building it plans on moving into in January. This will be considered for designation as an Economic Revitalization Area at the next regular Common Council regular meeting.