On June 15, 2019, The News-Herald published an interview with Professor John Plecnik, who also serves as Vice President of Council & Councilman-at-Large for the City of Willoughby Hills, on his successful efforts to economically redevelop the City’s business district and build a brighter future for the west end of Lake County by using his expertise in tax law.  “[T]he major economic development of bringing Produce Packaging to Willoughby Hills along with the police substation, Aldi and last year, Hospice of the Western Reserve coming to Willoughby Hills does represent a major improvement in the economic climate in the city,” Professor Plecnik told The News-Herald.  “I think it’s largely the result of an aggressive strategy to recruit businesses and jobs through tax abatement which is something that Councilwoman Laura Pizmoht and I as the tax and economic development experts on council have taken the lead on and the mayor and Council President Nancy Fellows have been incredibly helpful in that process and supportive of what we have done.”

Professor Plecnik’s teaching and scholarship focuses on the intersection of taxation and public policy, and his work has been cited as authority by the Supreme Court of the United States.  You can review the tax abatement or “Incentive Grant Agreement” (which is a public record) that Professor Plecnik negotiated and drafted to bring Produce Packaging and over 300 jobs to Willoughby Hills here:

http://www.willoughbyhills-oh.gov/Ordinance.2018-50-Exhibit%20A.pdf