PROCTORVILLE — The Lawrence County Commission Thursday agreed to give a $100,000 sewer tap fee break to a businessman who wants to build a nursing home in the Proctorville area.

Ron Lyons, who owns River’s Bend Health Care in South Point, sent a letter to the county, asking for a break on the tap fee is he builds his new facility because he will be creating jobs.

“In planning for site work at our proposed RiverWalk facility in Rome Township, we have found the cost of connecting to the Union-Rome sanitary sewer system to be excessive for this project,” Lyons said in his letter.

He estimated the utility connections (gas, water, sanitary sewer, etc.,) to be $406,625.

Commissioner Les Boggs noted that the county had passed a resolution in 2005 that provided a tap fee break of $1,000 for each job created in a new business endeavor.

Lyons has said he hopes to create 60-80 permanent jobs and 60 construction jobs with his new nursing home.

Boggs suggested the commission grant him a full credit for 70 permanent jobs and a half-credit for the construction jobs, thus totaling the $100,000.

“We trying to be in the habit of helping people who want to create jobs in our county,” Boggs said.

Commissioner Jason Stephens said the tax credit has been given to other enterprises, such as the Three Gables Surgical Center in Proctorville and noted there was no nursing home in the far eastern end of the county.

Also Thursday, the commission passed a resolution honoring Virgil and Verna McCarty, of Aid on their 60th wedding anniversary Saturday.

“I’ve known them for years,” Commissioner Doug Malone said. “They’re really sweet people.”

The couple were married Dec. 19, 1949.