Harold Hogan was sworn in as Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace during Monday’s County Commissioners meeting. [Photo contributed]
On Monday morning, Harold Hogan sworn in as Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace during the weekly Brown County Commissioners Court meeting. Hogan will finish the unexpired term of the retiring Mike Holder.
Also Monday, Scott Killingsworth addressed the commissioners court regarding the petition presented last week that opposes a proposed solar farm and requested tax abatement by the developer, IP Radian. The project is in southwest Brown County near Brookesmith and in the Brookesmith Independent School District.
An excess of 100 more petitions were submitted Monday – 29 from Precinct 1, 11 from Precinct 2, 14 from Precinct 3, and 51 from Precinct 4. There have been a total of 1,756 petitions submitted thus far against a solar farm tax abatement – 384 from Precinct 1, 390 from Precinct 2, 454 from Precinct 3, and 528 from Precinct 4.
In session Monday morning, Brown County Commissioners were presented a petition from those opposed to a proposed solar farm and requested tax abatement by the developer, IP Radian. The project is in southwest Brown County near Brookesmith and in the Brookesmith Independent School District.
Two citizens against the proposed project and requested tax abatements, Steve Wilson and Jeff Tucker, both spoke briefly representing the TLOW group, Texas Landowners Opposed to Wind.
Wilson was the first to speak.
“This petition will prove an overwhelming opposition to these abatements. Texas Petition Strategies out of Buda performed the task associated with obtaining and verifying the signatures,” Wilson said. He continued by saying all signatures have been verified by public rolls and Brown County Appraisal District.
In session Monday morning, Brown County Commissioners were presented a petition from those opposed to a proposed solar farm and requested tax abatement by the developer, IP Radian. The project is in southwest Brown County near Brookesmith and in the Brookesmith Independent School District.
Two citizens against the proposed project and requested tax abatements, Steve Wilson and Jeff Tucker, both spoke briefly representing the TLOW group, Texas Landowners Opposed to Wind.
Wilson was the first to speak.
“This petition will prove an overwhelming opposition to these abatements. Texas Petition Strategies out of Buda performed the task associated with obtaining and verifying the signatures,” Wilson said. He continued by saying all signatures have been verified by public rolls and Brown County Appraisal District.
Approximately 200 people attended a public forum Wednesday night, April 14, at the Adams Street Community Center. The forum, put on by Brown County Commissioners, was designed to hear the pros and cons of a proposed solar power farm in southwest Brown County, near Brookesmith. Arguments were made, for and against, the proposed project and the abatement being requested by the developer, IP Radian of San Francisco, California.
Christian Fiene of IP Radian, (shown in photo at podium) spoke first, describing the project and the benefits that will accrue from it. He said the tax abatement, initially requested at 85% for 10 years, has been reduced to a request of 55% for 10 years. He said over the 35 year life of the project, $9.2 million in taxes would be paid to Brown County and $16.2 million would be paid to the Brookesmith Independent School District.
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