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: ...
A tax abatement is an agreement where a local government (like a county) temporarily reduces or waives some portion of property taxes on a new project to encourage development. Think of it like this: the county is offering a discount on taxes in exchange for promises the company makes (investment, jobs, infrastructure, community benefits, etc.). What a tax abatement is (simple definition) A tax abatement typically reduces the taxable value of certain improvements (often new construction and equipment) for a set period of time. ...