The Butler County Commission acknowledged on Monday a more than $12 million tax abatement for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.

Officials with the City of Greenville granted the abatement in April in response to Hyundai Manufacturing’s plans to install new tooling equipment at the Hwashin America plant, which is located in Greenville. Hyundai has announced that it will spend more than $12.8 million on new equipment to be used in the production of the newly redesigned Hyundai Elantra.
The abatement covers all state and local non-educational taxes.

“I’d like to acknowledge personally my appreciation of the abatement of the taxes to Hyundai, and Hwashin will benefit from that,” said Commissioner Frank Hickman. “It is a continuing return on investment to this community that Hyundai came to this area. Think about where we would be  — economic development and job-wise — had they not come. Montgomery and what they call the River Region would be doing OK because of their military presence, but Butler County would be suffering without Hyundai suppliers. This abatement of taxes is non-educational taxes. We are not depriving education. We have nothing to do with it. It’s just something we acknowledge, but I do think it’s significant and I do appreciate their presence in our community and the opportunity to acknowledge an abatement for an industry in this community that is expanding and providing jobs for families in our community.”

In other business:

• The commission voted to appoint Commissioner Allin Whittle to the E-911 board. Sheriff Kenny Harden, Greenville Mayor Dexter McLendon, Georgiana Mayor Jerome Antone, McKenzie Mayor Lester Odom, Greenville Police Chief Lonzo Ingram and Gene Gibson, who will represent the fire departments across the county, were also reappointed to the board by the commission. All the appointments are pending the acceptance of the appointees. 
•  The commission approved a $500 appropriation to the Greenville Lions Club to help offset the cost of hosting the annual Memorial Day Celebration in Confederate Park. As members of the Lions Club, Hickman and Commissioner Jesse McWilliams abstained from voting on the proposal.

The commission will hold its next meeting June 8 at 8:30 a.m. It will hold a workshop meeting on June 4 at 5:30 p.m.