Precinct 3 Commissioner Wayne Shaw moved to create a reinvestment zone for the purpose of tax abatement to provide economic development within the county, which was seconded by Precinct 2 Commissioner Joel Kelton. Both commissioners then voted in favor of the reinvestment zone,
Precinct 1 Commissioner Gary Worley, Precinct 4 Commissioner Larry Traweek, and Brown County Judge Paul Lilly voted against the reinvestment.
“I’m all for a landowner doing what they want with their land,” Lilly said. “Property rights is one of my top agenda items but just don’t ask the government to subsidize it. And an ag exemption is not the same as a tax abatement for a multi-million dollar, if not billion dollar, company. That’s apples and oranges.”
Dale Cummings, who is a tax consultant and represented Intersect Power, reminded Commissioners that the project would provide substantial benefits to Brown County and to Brookesmith ISD. “We estimate, based on what we think IP Radian is going to spend and what the current tax rates are, that this would generate $9.2 million in taxes to Brown County over a 35 year period which is the expected life of the solar farm. It would provide $16.2 million in taxes to Brookesmith ISD over that same 35 year period using their current tax rate, which may change.” Cummings said the project wouldn’t cost the taxpayers any money.
With the failure of the creation of the reinvestment zone, a vote against the requested tax abatement for IP Radian did not take place.
“For me this is pretty simple,” Kenneth Adams said. “The Radian people came in here with a solar program because we have a substation and the substation is in a remote part of the county and it looked like a good deal for everybody. They offered to build the solar farm, invest $300 million of their own money into this. They qualified for an abatement and they asked for it. That’s just where we are today.” Adams pointed out that many have spoken against the project because of the requested abatement. “If you look at the majority of the people that opposes this, that own land, they have abatements with their ag exemption. Also people that have businesses in town have taken matching monies for projects and have also used other kinds of abatement.”
“First I want to say I’m not against solar power per say, but I think it belongs in certain places,” John Hays said. “I’ve been in countries where every rooftop has it, that’s fine. But taking 6,000 acres of oak savanna in Central Texas and bull dozing it to me is just crazy. If any of y’all have lived in Lubbock, trees are kind of nice to have.” Hays also pointed out that solar power proved to be unreliable back in February during the freeze. He said wildlife would also be affected by the solar farm.
