County grants 10-year tax abatement for New Vision warehouse

New Vision Co-Op intends to build a warehouse next spring in another expansion plan at its Magnolia feed mill.
Rock County commissioners agreed in a 4-1 vote to abate property taxes for new 62-by-352-foot warehouse during a Nov. 8 public hearing.
 No one from the public commented at the hearing or in writing.
The amount of abated taxes over the 10-year period will total $83,841.
Commissioner Stan Williamson opposed the abatement, stating he preferred a five-year abatement, which would bring additional revenue into the county budget sooner.
The tax abatement program is an incentive for local businesses to expand in Rock County.
Business owners can apply to the program that provides 10 years of tax relief on the property’s added value.
“It has done exactly what we hope these types of projects would do … increase the tax base and increase the employment base,” said County Administrator Kyle Oldre.
Williamson also opposed the abatement granted to New Vision earlier this year, also at the Magnolia location, for an additional storage facility and a new grain bin.
Under the warehouse agreement, $11,977 is abated in years one through five. The amount is reduced annually by 20 percent each year until the ninth year when only $2,396 is abated.
The new warehouse will be located near the railroad tracks on the extreme south side of the cooperative’s property.
Discussions with the Ellis & Eastern Railroad resulted in the change in the building’s design.
“They didn’t want them (New Vision) in the railroad’s right of way, so they are redesigning the building a little bit,” Oldre said. “They will still maintain that square footage but they will shift the entry point.”
The warehouse will store bagged feed for purchase by customers. New Vision expects to hire two additional full-time employees as a result of the expansion, bringing the total number of employees to 25, according to Oldre.
The warehouse is the fourth abatement granted to New Vision Co-Op in the past 11 years.
The company received a five-year abatement in 2011 to build the $16 million Magnolia feed mill. A 10-year tax abatement was granted in 2016 for a $1.2 million fertilizer and grain storage expansion at the Hills location.
 
Nykamp housing initiative request granted
Commissioners unanimously granted Alex and Shannon Nykamp a five-year tax abatement on a new home built in Battle Plain Township.
The public hearing also took place Nov. 8 with no public comments.
Abatement total is $4,046 ($809 per year) and involves only the county’s increased share of new house value. The new home’s value is estimated at $381,400. The land value and previous house value prior to the new home was $30,000.
The request is part of the Rock County Home Initiative for homeowners to request tax abatement on new residential structures.
“The program is doing exactly what we want it to do,” said commissioner Jody Reisch. “We continue to get our base for our taxes and yet we are adding value to the other entities.”