Summary: Corporate subsidies come to Willow Park, as Aledo ISD trustees approve Chapter 313 resolution for ‘Project Redeemer.’ / Corporate welfare or subsidies is "money given by the government to help large companies." Willow Park Civics is providing a blog of articles and research on specific legislative topics, during the 88th Texas Legislative Session. We will update and repost as new information develops about Corporate Welfare issues and activities.
Latest Update: Wednesday, 04 January, 2023
Select #Tags for additional articles: #StateLegislation #PropertyTax
Corporate subsidies come to Aledo ISD in Chapter 313 "Project Redeemer"
Aledo ISD and your property taxes are a now big part of the corporate subsidies (aka corporate welfare) debate in the current TX 88th Legislative Congress. Your children’s education and your property taxes -- that should get your attention!
• Merriam Webster Dictionary chiefly US / money or aid given by the government to help a large company
• Aledo ISD trustees approve Chapter 313 resolution for ‘Project Redeemer,’ The Community News, 23 December 2022, Excerpts
The Aledo ISD Board of Trustees met in a special session last Friday, Dec. 16, finalizing approval for the Chapter 313 Value Limitation Application as part of a proposal that could see a $3.7 billion solar panel facility erected on Walsh Ranch.
WPC editorial note: There are outstanding questions as to whether Project Redeemer will be processed by the Texas Comptroller, since the Texas Economic Development Act ended 31 December 2022. "In the 87th Legislative Session, state lawmakers ended up not renewing the Chapter 313 tax abatement program as a part of the Texas Economic Development Act. This prompted a rush of applications from corporate entities all across the state in an attempt to take advantage of the program before its end [31 December 2022], as companies that receive approval in 2022 can still receive the abatement for an additional 10 years, even if the program no longer exists... There is bipartisan opposition to such a program, as both major political parties cite opposition to corporate welfare in their respective platforms." Time Runs Out for Largest Corporate Welfare Program in Texas, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, December 30, 2022
Perhaps the most significant piece of information to come out of the meeting was the revealing of the mystery company on the receiving end of the proposal. The 1,100 acres of ranch land situated to the north of I-20 and south of I-30 east of Aledo is the prospective future home to Hanwha Q Cells Americas Holding Corporations’ second U.S.-based solar panel manufacturing facility. [Editorial: Q-Cells USA]
“Right now the vast majority of the burden for all of the infrastructure that we need as a community — which includes school infrastructure, but also roadways, and water, and waste water — is on the local, individual homeowner,” Bohn detailed. “When we diversify our tax base then there’s an opportunity to spread that burden.”
Just a few months removed from bankruptcy, the Hanwha Group — a South Korean business conglomerate — purchased Q Cells in August 2012. The original headquarters in Thalheim is still home to the company’s engineering offices.
Q Cells has become the world’s largest manufacturer of photovoltaic solar panels. The company increased total sales to $60.6 billion in 2021 up from $55.8 billion in 2020. The company expects sales to top $66.3 billion in 2022 according to the company website.
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