By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
County commissioners court members on Tuesday voted down a request by developers of a battery storage facility for an abatement of its county property taxes.
Developers of the proposed battery storage facility had asked the county during its meeting two weeks ago to consider a tax abatement for the facility’s first 10 years, should it be built. The developers had proposed a “payment in lieu of taxes” to the county every year instead.
Commissioners court revisited the tax abatement request during its meeting on Tuesday.
County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. told the court at the outset of the discussion, “You look at the numbers, you think it’s a good idea, $2.8 million over 10 years guaranteed funds, with no argument from the battery storage people, if you can work that deal out, and then you go out there and you take a ride around and start visiting with (local) individuals.
“You come to court and there’s people wanting to visit with you, and. . . two months ago we had a conversation with (the battery storage facility developer) and my biggest concern, as I’ve said, was what happens if this shit goes boom? Or if it catches fire? How are you going to put it out? We don’t have the capability to do it,” Owens told the court.
The county judge worried aloud that construction of the facility would create an undue burden on the city’s fire department.
“I know there’s other abatements that people are asking for, and we need to begin to look at that. We have Val Verde Park (nearby), and then on any given day, I have between 1,100 and 1,300 prisoners (in the county detention center), that if this thing goes south, what are the fumes going to do? What am I going to do with the prisoners? What am I going to do with people from Val Verde Park?
“I just really don’t believe that it would be in our best interests to give them an abatement, an incentive to come in and build it and then end up with issues,” Owens finished.
County Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan Carlos Vazquez told the court the proposed facility would have been in his precinct.
“And I have a lot of concerns about that, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to make a motion to deny (the developers) a tax abatement,” Vazquez said.
County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton gave the second.
After the motion and second, Owens said County Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores had called him with concerns about the facility and Vazquez had also previously expressed concerns about the facility.
“I think all of you all had concerns,” Owens said, then called for the vote.
The court then voted unanimously to approve Vazquez’s motion.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
