Bryan County Commissioners Scott Goad, Justin Boone and Brandon Carr turned down a request in a meeting last week to begin the process of creating a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district for a solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Silo.
In June, commissioners approved a TIF for a BESS to be built near Colbert, which was the first TIF for the county. Commissioners said that project has yet to move forward.
According to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, a TIF is a public tool that reallocates newly generated tax dollars for up to 25 years for supporting development or redevelopment in certain limited areas of a city, town, or county.
Commissioners spoke by telephone during the meeting with a representative from Ex-Elio, a global renewable energy developer seeking to put the BESS system in Silo and commissioners said there is already another company putting one in the same area and they have not asked for a TIF.
It is in Goad’s district, and he said these are unique projects that don’t really generate local jobs.
“My concern is the process that it takes to get to the point to do some sort of property tax abatement,” Goad said. “We went through this process a year ago and it was undesirable is the only way I can say it. Those issues put on you guys is not 100 percent fair, but it was not a great process for us, and it’s been to no benefit to the county because that project has not proceeded and it may or may not and your project may be the same way. You may be depending on financials to have the support to do the infrastructure that you need to make this work and without a TIF, you may not be willing to invest in the project in Bryan County.”
Another concern for Goad was that the process could take up to 18 months.
“My other concern and I don’t have an answer for this one,” Goad said. “So, this is an election year and come April of filing deadline, we’re not allowed to make purchasing decisions past April. I personally won’t be here after December 31. I don’t know what the implications are from if this TIF committee runs past December 31, what does that look like? So, there may be a legality question that we got to figure out too.
“I’m just a voice of one. There’s two other elected officials sitting next to me, but I see the benefit from an infrastructure. You guys are going to invest money in the county. You’re going to get a tax break because you’re willing to spend the money here but at the same time, the process is arduous and I just don’t know that it’s worth the benefit from the county.”
Boone said that if the project created industry and jobs, he would be for it, and Carr said there is a solar farm being built next door that has almost been completed, and they did not ask for a TIF.
Goad said, “Your neighbors just to the west of you are paying full price. I don’t think it’s fair to try and entice another company that’s interested to give them a tax break when other folks are paying full price. I just don’t feel like that’s the right thing to do.”
The company representative said they are still working to develop the project and that they just needed to figure out the tax situation.
In other agenda items, commissioners approved the sheriff’s office to purchase 20 patrol rifles with a Sheriff Assistance Grant from Barrett’s Outdoors and three Chevrolet Silverado trucks from Stuteville Chevrolet. Sheriff Joey Tucker said he likes to buy locally when possible.