A new tax exemption ordinance for Greene County will help to support industrial growth.

Greene County Assessor Linda Spearman says the industrial property tax exemption covers any new construction or an addition to an existing structure for industrial manufacturing, distribution centers, research facilities, cattle facilities or public warehouses.  The regulations were proposed to the Board of Supervisors, following the guidelines of the Iowa Department of Revenue.

An applicant would receive a five-year tax break on the construction project, starting with 75 percent abatement and sliding down a percentage every year there after.

Bauer Built Manufacturing in Paton is the first applicant that wants to take advantage, if the Supervisors pass the ordinance.  Spearman talks about why the new industrial manufacturer has to go before the Board instead of the City of Paton.

“It resides in Paton Township.  It is not in the town of incorporated Paton.  So they really have no jurisdiction over it, and that’s basically why the County-we needed to write a county exemption to cover all of the County outside of incorporated limits.”

A public hearing is scheduled for comments for or against the new ordinance at the Supervisors regular meeting today at 8:30am in the boardroom of the courthouse in Jefferson.