Wayne County Commissioner Brad Dwenger voted against appropriating $2 million in consolidated Economic Development Income Tax funds for Richmond’s 6Main apartment development, and during a Feb. 26 meeting, he voted against providing Richmond the money.
Commissioners Aaron Roberts and Jeff Plasterer, however, voted in favor of paying the city’s invoice with the committed funds. The city will then pass the money to developers Flaherty & Collins Properties after the project’s closing.
Dwenger voted no to align with his original vote and because “part of the agreement with the city was for us to be engaged in the process, and we were not engaged at all,” he said.
Roberts said the county should pay in good faith for the project to move forward.
“We’ve already committed to it,” he said. “It’s already been appropriated.”
Plasterer also said the county needed to follow through on its commitment. He noted that the $2 million comes from consolidated EDIT, which is funded by the city, county and multiple towns. The city is the largest payer into the fund that’s used for the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County’s operating budget and economic development projects.
The $2 million is part of an extensive financial package provided for the development at the former Elder-Beerman site. Richmond Common Council on Feb. 18 approved issuing up to $3.7 million in taxable economic development revenue bonds for construction of the 150 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.
The city’s Redevelopment Commission is providing $4.5 million, and the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative awarded $2.5 million for the project. Flaherty & Collins also received $3.6 million in state tax credits.
WUR process
Commissioners unanimously decided Wayne County will not at this time join a solid waste district or form a standalone solid waste district after its withdrawal from the Wayne Union Recycling Solid Waste District.
The county continues working through the steps necessary to close Wayne Union Recycling, which was dissolved Dec. 31 when the county withdrew from the regional solid waste district.
A public hearing will be conducted at 8:30 a.m. March 21 in the commissioners’ meeting room of the Union County Courthouse, 26 W. Union St., Liberty. The WUR board, Union County commissioners and Wayne County commissioners will listen to public comment about the division of WUR’s assets and allocation of its liabilities.
Wayne County proposes that Union County receive $25,000 of the approximately $250,000 WUR has in its bank account. That mirrors the 10% contribution Union County makes to WUR salaries for employees who are part of the Wayne County Soil and Water District. The soil and water district would receive two laptops, a printer and other items used during educational events. Other items would remain with Wayne County for use this year in joint recycling programs and projects with Richmond Sanitary District.
A version of this article appeared in the March 5 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.