St. Joseph County Council voting for Amazon tax abatements

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- The County Council vote is the last step for the development agreement, officially bringing Amazon web services to New Carlisle.

Two incentives need final approval, a tax abatement, where Amazon only has to pay 50 percent of its real property taxes for 10 years. The second being an enterprise technology exemption of 85 percent for 35 years that will cover all the computer servers and equipment that goes inside the massive facility.

St. Joseph County Economic Development Director Bill Schalliol says this is the incentive that really sold Amazon on choosing Indiana for this location.

“This is a generational, transformational project. absolutely. this is going to be a game-changer for this community for a long time.” said Bill Schalliol, SJC Economic Development Director

The Council has to give final approval on the full development agreement. This already got approval from the Redevelopment Commission and the County Board of Commissioners.

This even includes the Community Enhancement agreement, which includes fees that go back to the county, water, and sewer improvements to the area, such as road improvements, and more.

They are required to provide at least 400 full time jobs. Schalliol says he’s confident the agreement will go through, but of course it’s not official until there is a vote tonight.

However, some residents of New Carlisle are still apprehensive seeing their small-town life threatened by major developments, like Amazon and the GM electric vehicle battery plant, or being nervous about water being pulled from the Kankakee aquifer.