SpaceX tax abatement deal in Grimes County draws scrutiny from Grimes County residents
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Details of a tax abatement agreement between Grimes County leaders and SpaceX are now public, revealing a 100% county property tax abatement for 10 years in exchange for a $5 billion investment commitment and 1,800 full-time jobs by the end of 2035.
The deal, dated June 3, has drawn criticism from some Anderson-area residents who say they were kept in the dark about the agreement before it was signed.
"I feel like we were ignored by our leadership and that we were not given time to process this properly and that we did not review it carefully enough," Sarah Ellison Lewis, a local resident, said.
Charles Rogers, another local resident, echoed those concerns.
"We were left in the dark. Nobody told us anything and we're just finding out bits and pieces and we don't know what to believe or who to believe," Rogers said.
Some residents also expressed concern that the deal does not do enough to protect the character of the county.
"All of the little things that make Grimes County what it is. Those were not protected and that is what is concerning about the tax abatement deal," Marie Egyed of Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development said.
Rogers said the tax relief should benefit residents, not just the company.
"If you give anybody a tax abatement, give it back to the county. Give it back to the citizens," Rogers said.
Paul Padron, who lives near the project site, said he worries the development will fundamentally alter the community.
"All these people that don't live around here that are praising this. They're not gonna be affected by it, we are. And I'm just down the street from it," Padron said.
"Everybody is going on about all these jobs and everything that's gonna be coming into the community of Grimes County our way of life is gone," Padron said.
Lewis said she fears the project will strip the county of what makes it unique.
"And if we're going to become like everybody else, that's the perfect way to do it. Let somebody come in and put a big metal box and, and make it bright and loud. It's horrible to me," Lewis said.
For a full breakdown of the SpaceX tax abatement agreement with Grimes County, visit gccrd.org/SpaceX-Deal-Summary.
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