By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer criticized a published report and social media comments he says are highly inaccurate about the tax impact from the proposed forming a city-county airport authority.
Thallemer was especially upset over a report that suggested one of the biggest farm operation in the county would see a single-year impact of $400,000 to $500,000 as a result of a new tax that would be established if the city and the county form an airport authority.
Thallemer called the accusation “a gross mischaracterization” of the facts. He made the comments at the end of a city council meeting Monday night.
Kosciusko County Council President Mike Long made the suggestion in a Times-Union story published Saturday.
City council has already approved of the idea of creating an airport authority and the county council is preparing for a public discussion on the topic Thursday night in the old courtroom.
Thallmer said he understands what’s happening.
“If he’s going to make those accusations or concerns, let’s be accurate with the information,” Thallemer said.
The estimate cited by Long assumes the tax rate would be at the maximum, 3.9 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Thallmer contends the biggest farm operation would feel an $85,000 impact — far from what was reported.
He said they’re looking at a tax rate that would be half of the maximum.
On Monday morning, Long outlined numerous reasons why he’s personally opposed to the airport authority in an interview with News Now Warsaw.
In a 25-minute conversation, Long:
- Questioned the economic impact of the airport, saying he believes 95 percent of traffic at the airport is recreational.
- Said he thinks the city is not using all available grants and funding sources to run the airport.
- Questioned the city’s sense of urgency on the proposal.
Long also said he’d prefer to see voters have a say in the decision through a referendum, which perhaps could significantly slow down the process.
At one point, Long suggested the city shifted money from the airport to the parks department for a $2 million project and repeatedly called the city request a “bailout.”
“I believe we have evidence that there has been money pulled from the airport and put into the park system in Warsaw. And now, they’re coming up short – they’re blaming it on covid and they’re blaming it on increased expenses,” Long said.
“This airport … needs to be run like a business and coming to the taxpayers for a bailout is just not the right thing to do,” Long said.
Thallemer also distributed to local reporters packets of information and studies that outline the impact orthopedics and the airport have on the local economy. He had little interest in defending other points of possible contention mentioned by Long.
The city contends much of the county benefits from the orthopedic industry in Warsaw and that the airport serves as a gateway for global business.
The debate comes as the local orthopedic base continues to grow. Two of the newest companies that have moved into the county in the past year are based in Switzerland and Singapore.
Thallemer said the airport serves as a gateway to global markets.
The economic cluster of orthopedic companies along US 30 in Kosciusko, Whitley and Allen counties employs about 10,000 people. A report on the economic impact of the orthopedic industry contends that for every position in the medical device field creates another 1.42 jobs in the community.
The report also said the number of new jobs in the corridor’s orthopedic companies is nearly twice of that seen in overall job growth in the region.
City officials contend the airport has a number of large ticket projects on the horizon and cannot afford to finance them without more support.
The county council will host a special meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the old courthouse to discuss the proposal.
