Why the Tax Abatement Is Our Real Leverage

A lot of people have asked a fair question: If the county can’t legally stop a data center from being built on private land, why focus so much on the tax abatement? The short answer is this: Because the tax abatement is the most meaningful leverage the county — and the public — actually has. The county can’t “ban” a data center — but it can refuse to subsidize one In Texas, counties generally have very limited zoning authority. That means: ...

December 23, 2025 · 3 min