From the Muncie Star-Press:
Locomotive maker Progress Rail Services is planning to drop its appeal of the assessed value of its Muncie manufacturing facility, Delaware County officials said Wednesday.
The Alabama-based railroad company, a division of Caterpillar, contacted the office of Delaware County Assessor James Carmichael on Wednesday, the day a Star Press article reported the company was trying to get the assessed value of its Cowan Road facility — a 740,000-square-foot complex that was formerly home to Westinghouse and ABB — lowered from $6.4 million to $1.7 million.
“It sounds like they’re going to withdraw that appeal,” Carmichael said Wednesday, adding that a Progress Rail representative contacted his office earlier in the day.
The Star Press reported the concerns of officials who spoke up at a Tuesday morning meeting of Delaware County Council. Democratic council member Mike Jones had noted that not only did Progress Rail appeal its assessed value but had denied entry into its buildings by county assessors.
Jones argued that it was not unreasonable for Progress Rail to contest its assessed value, but he added he didn’t believe it was appropriate for the company to bar assessors from the complex.
Carmichael said the Progress Rail representative he spoke with on Wednesday was “apologetic we couldn’t get into the building.”
The assessor said the company still has to send a “formal letter” dropping the appeal.
“We’ll contact them, get some basic info from them, and go out and take a visit and see what they’re got.”
Word of the company’s plans to withdraw the appeal spread quickly.
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“It wasn’t about the assessment or the appeal,” Jones said. “My concern was simply to have Progress Rail communicate with the assessor. Once that happened, the issue was resolved within hours.”
Officials said Tuesday and Wednesday that the appeal was filed by a property assessment consultant representing Progress Rail.
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http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20130103/NEWS01/301030034/Progress-Rail-Muncie
