Members of the Marshall County Council heard from County Commissioner Mike Delp during the “Public Input” portion of their meeting on Monday.
Delp questioned the council non-decision last month on the request for financial support for the Permanent Supportive Housing Project on West Jefferson Street. He said, “Several times Jim Causey has been before you and I’m not here to really beat that up again other than when I was looking through the notes and your non-direction the last time, it’s obvious you don’t think we should provide anything for the housing project here in the city.” He said he was disappointed that no members gave their reasoning on why they aren’t supportive of the project by pledging funding to it.
Delp said several people in the community have asked him why the council didn’t support the request for funding. He said, “The homeless housing issues isn’t just here in Plymouth, it’s a county thing.” The commissioner said the City of Plymouth has put a lot into it and while he wasn’t supportive of the entire $50,000 request, he felt the county could do something, “and or give them a reason why not.”
Councilwoman Penny Lukenbill said the county’s funding is limited with the reduced revenue for the highway department and the additional costs for the criminal justice side. She also said the city put $300,000 towards the project and then asked the committee to go out and solicit additional funding so they could reduce their pledge.
Councilman Jon VanVactor told Delp, “We have skin in the game.” He went on to say, “There is a TIF District out there and the money they are using is Redevelopment Funds and those would have been tax dollars that would have come to the county had they not been captured in the TIF.”
Delp said those tax dollars are being used to make us better in the future to generate more tax dollars by spurring economic growth.
Heath Thornton said he wasn’t supportive a residential development using TIF funds.
Delp commented that he believed the committee would be back again for a decision.
