Commission to discuss Midway PILOT

First, my boy Josh Flory over at the Property Scope has the latest on the Midway court slugfest. Click right smack here for it. And, speaking of which . . . the County Commission on Monday will talk more about a proposed tax incentive for a potential Midway Road area employee.

The plan is to give KaTom Restaurant Supply Inc. a four-year payment in lieu of tax, or PILOT, to set up shop in the area. Obviously, the folks out in East Knox County don't like this.

There's some thought that the proposal is just another way to set up a business park, piece by piece, and that this would be the first step. Personally, I can think of worse things to go there than a restaurant supply business, but that's easy to say because it's not in my backyard. Heh.

Anyhoo, it looks like some commissioners will push for the PILOT, but not limit it to just the Midway area. They feel that if KaTom is serious about relocating from Russellville to Knox County then it will look at other spots, too, if given the PILOT.

I don't know. I think the interest is more about that Midway property than it is about Knox County. It's close enough to recruit, but also a short commute for the current employees who don't live in the county.

In the meantime, this is just a small battle. If approved, the county commission still has to rezone the property. That won't have the political ease of a PILOT.