The Geary County Commission held a public hearing Monday afternoon for possible bond issuance for Acorn Resort.

Mike Harris, Acorns Resort Owner is requesting the issuance of Industrial Revenue Bonds in order to fund an expansion project at the resort. During the public hearing Commissioner Florence Whitebread was concerned about what property taxes would still be owed if and IRB was issued.

Under an IRB a tax abatement would be applied to just the new construction according to Whitebread.

“It is an abatement only on anything new constructed for ten years, and it’s a 95 percent, it’s not a complete doing away of the property tax,” says Whitebread. “Ninety five percent for ten years on just new stuff, so everything that is there is taxed just as it is now.”

It was also explained that the county and it’s tax payers will not be responsible for anything if the project does not work out.

“The county is not on the hook for any of this,” says Harris. “Even in the situation of a default, or something like that, the county is not on the hook for anything.”

Harris further explained that the county is just the conduit in order for him to get the IRB’s.

“It has to be a county or city entity. It has to be an entity to enable me to get the IRB’s. I would be the one responsible to find private placement or go out and find the financing to actually purchase the bonds.”

Harris is proposing to construct additional lodging and meeting space at his resort at Milford Lake. He did say that construction on the additional lodging could begin within the next 30 days.