The City of Crown Point has big plans for approximately $2.3 million it has received as its share of the County Economic Development Income Tax.
The city has allocated the funding for a variety of purposes between 2024-2025, including local road and construction projects, incentives to bring new business to the city, “personal” services (i.e., engineering), paying off a general obligation bond, and helping fund the expansion of the South Shore Railroad.
Of those items, approximately $730,000 is allocated to pay off the bond, with $600,000 tabbed for construction projects, $250,000 going toward economic incentives, $275,000 for personal services and $133,370 to the South Shore. The Rebuild Crown Point fund is allocated $50,000.
Crown Point Mayor Pete Land said the city is in the process of identifying various road, construction, and economic development projects, and looks forward to all the city can accomplish with the funding. Updating the city’s comprehensive plan is among the projects planned.
“There’s always incentive package requests, which is not unusual,” Land said. “Everybody asks for something.”
City to hire economic development director
The Crown Point City Council made its funding intentions official at its February meeting, passing a capital improvement plan ordinance, which Lake County requires as a requirement of CEDIT allocations. At its March meeting, the council is expected to finalize an amendment to its salary ordinance to hire an economic development director who will assist in administering the CEDIT funds, among other duties. The pay range is $57,000 to $87,111 per year, according to the ordinance.
“Back in 2005, we used to have an economic development director and then the city eliminated the position several years later,” Land said. “I felt that based on our development and the expansion of Crown Point that we needed bring that position back.”
Land added that the economic development director will be integral to representing the city with various state and regional economic development entities and seeking additional funding for Crown Point.
The city’s human resources department is currently developing a job description, which Land expects the council to adopt in March. The city yet to advertise for the role nor does it have any potential candidates been identified, according to Land.
Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
