Berrien County officials say a demand from the Federal Economic Development Administration to pay back more than $783,000 the county gave to Whirlpool in 2001 is unacceptable. A press release issued Tuesday says the county used $610,000 of EDA money to help Whirlpool move its technology center from Dayton to Benton Township, requiring Whirlpool to guarantee it would maintain its employment levels in the area for at least ten years. In 2011, after Whirlpool had met the loan’s terms, the loan was forgiven. Then, in a letter dated June 30 of this year, the county was ordered by the EDA to pay back the $610,000, plus interest. County officials say the EDA was told several times about the loan and its terms, and never objected. The county now says “it is unacceptable for EDA staff to demand repayment of these funds 15 years after this venture was initiated, nine years after the EDA was notified of the very loan structure to which it now objects, and 5 years after the terms of this loan were fully satisfied.” The press release goes on to say Berrien County “is not inclined to submit to the EDA’s recent demands” to pay the money back.
