Tax abatements get OK from Lawrence County Commission

McGinnis, Chatham, Merciers to benefit

By Teresa Moore | The Tribune

Published Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Lawrence County Commission Tuesday gave its final approval to tax abatements for three entities seeking locate or expand in the county.

Ralph Kline, assistant director of the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization, said Chatham Steel, Merciers and McGinnis, Inc., will get 50 percent tax abatements for 10 years.

Chatham Steel, which announced plans last year to build a steel plant in Hamilton Township, has agreed to create 50 jobs in exchange for its abatement; McGinnis, which is building a new barge repair facility in Perry Township, will create 50 new jobs and Merciers, which announced plans last year to build a plant in South Point, has agreed to create 40 jobs.

Commissioner Les Boggs said the common theme he hears frequently is that the county needs jobs and he agrees.

Boggs said he thinks the tax abatements to Merciers, Chatham and McGinnis will provide some of the jobs Lawrence Countians have been looking for.

“Good people, good property, I’m thankful,” Boggs said. “One hundred forty jobs will have a great impact on our community. This commission has been very proactive and business friendly and we want to keep it that way.”

Commissioner Doug Malone pointed out that while new business is always welcome in the county, it is reassuring to see businesses that are already established here willing to take a greater stake in the county’s future.

“It’s nice to see re-investment in the county,” Malone said of the McGinnis plans.

Also Tuesday, the commission approved a 2010 general fund budget.

The more than $13 million general fund spending plan calls for a 10 percent cut in the salary line items of all county offices, with one exception being sheriff’s office road patrol deputies.

Commissioner Jason Stephens noted this is the earliest in recent memory the county has enacted a new budget.

The commission also approved a $149,279 contract with Boone Coleman Construction for storm sewer improvements in Burlington. Doug Cade, of E.L. Robinson engineering, said improvements will be made to Sixth Street and Walmart Way to make it more motorist-friendly, drainage will be improved in the area around J&M Manufacturing and the storm sewer in the area around Walmart will be extended 220 feet, thus serving a larger area of the community.

Cade said work should begin in January and be completed by June.

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