A standalone Boys & Girls Club could be back in play for the Town of Merrillville after one councilman reintroduced the ordinance that would fund it.
Councilman Shawn Pettit, D-6, said during the September 10 Town Council meeting that he, at Town Attorney Joe Sventanoff’s counsel, brought the ordinance back through the Council Affairs committee for further explanation. This time, the council approved it 5-2, with Councilwomen Shauna Haynes-Edwards, D-2; and Leona Chandler-Felton, D-3, dissenting.
The council will vote again for the ordinance on September 24.
The council, which initially voted unanimously in June for the ordinance that would allow the town to issue the Boys & Girls Club $2 million in economic development bonds over 10 years for the organization, killed the ordinance 3-2-1, the Post-Tribune previously reported. Council President Rick Bella, D-5, Council Vice President Rhonda Neal, D-1, and Councilman Shawn Pettit, D-6, voted in favor; Councilwomen Shauna Haynes-Edwards, D-2, and Leona Chandler-Felton, D-3, voted against; Councilwoman Marge Uzelac, D-4, abstained; and Councilwoman Keesha Hardaway, D-7, was absent.
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana President and CEO Mike Jessen told the council that while it greatly appreciates the space in the community center, it’s not able to serve as many kids as it has even when it used space in one of the Merrillville Schools. Clerk-Treasurer Eric January, however, said the town can’t afford to “give gifts” to everyone who asks for them, though the money to pay the bond issue would come out of the town’s tax increment financing fund, which currently has $9.1 million in it and wouldn’t burden homeowners.
The state’s TIF language allows municipalities to give public entities money directly, while not-for-profits are allowed the money through bond issues, the Post-Tribune previously reported.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
