Something is better than nothing, the old saying goes.

That may be the choice local government officials have to make as they negotiate a tax settlement with a local manufacturer.

The issue dates back several years, when the plant’s former owner, American Process, lost a tax-exempt Renaissance Zone designation because it stopped manufacturing the product that had secured that designation.

Since then, the plant, now called GranBio, has fallen behind on its property taxes. It currently owes about $750,000.

Alpena County paid Alpena, Alpena Community College, and other taxing authorities out of what’s known as a tax revolving fund, which counties use to make municipalities whole while the county goes after delinquent taxes.

Now, Alpena County is days away from foreclosing on the plant and taking ownership, while government officials negotiate with GranBio officials to reach a settlement.

A lot is at stake, here.

If the county is forced to foreclose, about a dozen people at the plant could lose their jobs, the economy would take a hit, and the county would be burdened with owning an agricultural manufacturing plant it would be forced to try and sell — likely for pennies on the dollar.

However, if the government and the plant can’t reach a deal, local government coffers will be short sorely needed dollars, and that affects all of us, too.

So we’ll be watching the negotiations closely, and hope the two sides can reach a deal that is mutually beneficial.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect GranBio has about a dozen employees. The number of employees was incorrect in an earlier version of this editorial.