Warsaw School Board Tables TIF Proposal With Winona Lake

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The Warsaw Community Schools’ Board of School Trustees tabled an agreement for a proposed tax increment finance district in Winona Lake.

That was done during the board’s work session on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Warsaw Community Schools’ Central Office training room.

The decision came after two board members, Randy Polston and Elle Turley, were unable to attend the meeting and give input. The board also asked that the town of Winona Lake be added to the agreement, which would mean the town council would have to vote on it.

Currently, the agreement would be between Warsaw Community Schools and the Winona Lake Redevelopment Commission.

The residential TIF district would collect new property taxes on new construction in the town. Money would be used to help pay for projects at Jefferson Elementary School.

Establishing the district would not involve raising taxes. The planned TIF is to be for 25 years.

Those attending the work session included Winona Lake Town Council President Rick Swaim, the Redevelopment Commission’s Bruce Shaffner, Winona Lake Town Manager Craig Allebach and Town Attorney Adam Turner. Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. CEO Alan Tio also attended.

In other business, the board heard from Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert who said the school corporation is seeking more custodians, bus drivers and food service workers. That’s related to current employees having to be out due to contact tracing related to COVID-19.