Hartford City Council Approves 23 Tax Abatement Compliance Resolutions

From the Hartford City Common Council meeting on July 6, 2026

The Hartford City Common Council approved 23 compliance resolutions for tax abatements held by three local manufacturers at its July 6 meeting. All votes were 4-0, with Council Member Tony Scaggs absent.

Nine resolutions (2026-12 through 2026-20) confirmed compliance for 3M. Thirteen resolutions (2026-21 through 2026-33) confirmed compliance for Petoskey Plastics. Council Member Ron Dudelston reported that he and Economic Development Director Warren Brown personally visited both facilities and confirmed compliance with all requirements.

One resolution (2026-39) confirmed compliance for Gilman's. City Attorney Tyler Rothstein, attending via Zoom, said Gilman's was "relatively spot on with their projections and estimations versus the actual contributions and costs" — approximately $120,000 apart, attributed to one fewer employee than projected. Council Member Michael Wolfe noted the business is valuable for local parts access, saying "your next trip to get a nut or a bolt is 30 minutes away" without it.

The county assessor had expressed concern about not hearing from Gilman's; Warren Brown reached out to initiate the compliance process.

Tax abatement compliance reviews ensure companies receiving tax breaks are meeting the job creation and investment commitments they made when the abatements were granted.

Source: YouTube transcript — Hartford City Common Council Meeting, July 6, 2026

Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.