From the Lafayette Journal & Courier:
The Faith West planned development has a history of attracting large crowds of protesters and supporters at public meetings.
But Faith West’s appearance before the Tippecanoe Couty Property Tax Board of Appeals was brief and was attended by only two church supporters, Pastor Steve Viars, Faith’s attorney, and three reporters from various news organization. It was quite a contrast from the packed meeting rooms of the last two months.
Jim Malady, chairman of the Property Tax Board of Appeals, asked Viars if Faith West was a religious organization, to which Viars said it was.
...
“Under Indiana law, vacant land owned by a religious organization is exempt,” Phillips said. “They have eight years to build on it, and they have to show they’ve made progress on it in four years.”
Although the matter was taken under advisement, and Phillips has 90 days to let Faith West know if the land is exempt from property taxes, it’s a safe bet the board will OK the exemption.
But Viars had hoped to get a sense of how the board might view the entire project. It was a read he couldn’t get from the brief interaction with the board.
“We’ve said all along, we don’t think they’re obligated to make that decision at this point in time,” Viars said.
“I don’t know that PTBOA (Property Tax Board of Appeals) was comfortable with that,” Phillips said of giving a broader interpretation of the tax-exempt status of the project. “They rule on what exists. The question today was the land, and there’s really no question about it.”
http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012306280044&nclick_check=1
