Steuben County Council approves real-property tax abatement for Short family after public hearing

At a special session June 11, 2019, the Steuben County Council approved Resolution No. 06-2019-02 and the SB‑1 real property abatement form submitted by David Short and Barbara Short. The council opened a public hearing at 9:15 a.m.; Barbara Short, representing DAS Services, answered council questions and no members of the public spoke during the hearing.

Wil Howard moved to approve the resolution and the SB‑1 form; Linda Hansen seconded. The motion carried with six ayes and one abstention (Dan Caruso). The minutes record the council’s findings under Indiana Code §6‑1.1‑12.1, concluding that the statement of benefits is reasonable and that the proposed real estate improvements will create employment and other public benefits that justify deductions under the statute.

The minutes include a legal exhibit (Exhibit A) describing the parcel — identified as a 1.88‑acre tract in the northeast quarter of Section 16, Township 37 North, Range 13 East in Steuben County — and state that the council approved the statement of benefits tied to that property. The resolution text in the minutes cites the statutory authority (I.C. §6‑1.1‑12.1) as the basis for allowing the deductions.

The record includes some inconsistency in duration language: the motion recorded in the minutes states approval of a 100% abatement “for a period of 5 years,” while the resolution text in the minutes later references the statutory framework and lists year‑by‑year application (the document text in the minutes shows 100% in Years 1–5 and then 0% in Year 6). The council minutes record the action taken; for legal effect and exact abatement schedule, the signed resolution and the SB‑1 attached to the county file should be consulted.