BY RANDY McNUTT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FAIRFIELD -- City and Butler County officials on Friday voted to approve tax abatement for Merck-Medco Managed Care.
Next month, the state will consider the package.
Merck-Medco Managed Care, a subsidiary of New Jersey-based Merck & Co., announced May 21 that it planned to open a mail-service pharmacy in the long-vacant former Central Hardware store on Dixie Highway.
With it will come 100 jobs by year's end and 550 jobs by 2001.
"The project has moved extremely quickly -- in about 5 1/2 weeks," said Tim Bachman, city planning director.
The city will abate taxes 100 percent for 10 years on real and personal property, saving the company $280,000 annually, Mr. Bachman said.
In turn, the company will repay about $50,000 annually to the Fairfield City Schools over the 10 years, he added.
"Without cooperation from the schools, this probably couldn't have gotten off the ground," Councilman Sterling Uhler said. Bob Wuesthoff, vice president of the firm's pharmaceutical operations, said the fast work was a result of cooperation on both sides.
"This has been a tremendous process," he said. "We're thrilled about the whole thing. We're looking forward to bringing in the jobs we talked about."
The final step will come in mid-June after Ohio officials approve a job-creation tax credit now being worked out, Mr. Bachman said. Company officials said they liked Fairfield as a community and its proximity to Cincinnati and Dayton. Planned road improvements influenced the decision.
Council voted on the abatement Friday.
Immediately after, county commissioners met there and approved the package.
In Fairfield, Merck-Medco will review prescriptions for drug conflicts, proper dosage and other protocols, and approve them electronically.
