DJ S Dakota Official: Can''t Challenge Beef Plant Tax Breaks
Agriculture Online
12:34 PM, November 2, 2006
ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP)--The Brown County state's attorney says a decision to
give tax breaks to a beef processing plant that'll be built just south of
Aberdeen cannot be put to a public vote.
Plant developers say the tax help is crucial for the project.
State's Attorney Mark McNeary says the action of the county commission cannot
be second-guessed by voters because it was an administrative procedure.
Administrative actions are not subject to public votes, but legislative
actions are.
A lawyer for opponents of the beef plant says he thinks it's a legislative
decision to provide a break on property taxes, and it can be put on the local
ballot if about 12-hundred signatures can be obtained.
A petition campaign is planned.
The Brown County Commission on Tuesday approved a measure that will provide a
tax break of $8.6 million for the new beef processing plant.
The tax break will be provided by creating a special tax increment financing
district that allows the increased value of the plant to be refunded in
property taxes as improvements are made.
Northern Beef Packers wants to build a plant that could process 1,500 cattle
a day at capacity.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
agriculture.com
Agriculture Online
12:34 PM, November 2, 2006
ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP)--The Brown County state's attorney says a decision to
give tax breaks to a beef processing plant that'll be built just south of
Aberdeen cannot be put to a public vote.
Plant developers say the tax help is crucial for the project.
State's Attorney Mark McNeary says the action of the county commission cannot
be second-guessed by voters because it was an administrative procedure.
Administrative actions are not subject to public votes, but legislative
actions are.
A lawyer for opponents of the beef plant says he thinks it's a legislative
decision to provide a break on property taxes, and it can be put on the local
ballot if about 12-hundred signatures can be obtained.
A petition campaign is planned.
The Brown County Commission on Tuesday approved a measure that will provide a
tax break of $8.6 million for the new beef processing plant.
The tax break will be provided by creating a special tax increment financing
district that allows the increased value of the plant to be refunded in
property taxes as improvements are made.
Northern Beef Packers wants to build a plant that could process 1,500 cattle
a day at capacity.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
agriculture.com