By Michael Prochaska
Staff Writer
 
It’s still too early to tell how much money could be reimbursed after Baxter International’s Aug. 1 groundbreaking, which had a preliminary cost as high as $31,000.
The Morgan County Board of Commissioners promised last month to fund up to $6,000 for the event but were told that a reimbursement was possible depending on how much  would be raised in private donations.
Bank of Madison and Pittman Construction donated toward the groundbreaking, said Madison-Morgan Chamber of Commerce President Bob Hughes.  Representatives from both companies declined to comment on the exact sum, but said they were minor donations in comparison to the total cost.
Hughes met with Covington-Newton Chamber of Commence President Hunter Hall last week to discuss finances post-groundbreaking under closed session.
“We don’t anticipate any community going over the initial request,” Hunter told the Morgan County Citizen after the meeting, adding that it will take some time to determine the final cost.
Hughes and Hunter said they were notified of the preliminary cost only three weeks before the groundbreaking.
“We needed help to offset that budget,” Hunter said. “This is a huge benefit for the community and yet none of us had any budgets set aside to pull this thing off.”

Printed in the August 16, 2012 edition