"Tax Abatement Hearing in South Bend Turns Heated"

Erin Blasko of the South Bend Tribune reports.  Excerpt:

Council member Dale DeVon, a Republican, chimed in next. He noted that, before Stripco, just one company had requested a tax abatement from the county since March 2009, when the current abatement ordinance first took effect.

"I think we need to look at the overall picture," DeVon said. "People need jobs right now, and we need to help create jobs, not put up barriers."

"Basically, there's a huge red flag in St. Joseph County that says we're not friendly to business," Republican council member Dan Herbster said, referring to the ordinance.