Nortex Times

Commissioners of Jack County in north central Texas were due to submit a vote earlier this month to determine whether to grant Lasso Wind LLC a tax reduction by declaring a portion of the county a “reinvestment zone,” but the final ruling was postponed, the Jacksboro Herald-Gazette reports. 

The suggested abatements for the French-owned wind energy company, introduced several months ago, was the central topic at the commissioners' 90-minute debate meeting earlier this month. At the meeting, commissioner Gary Oliver opted to postpone the final determination for a later date to ensure all related opinions are thoroughly voiced and considered.

“I am not going to be a pawn in this action,” Oliver said in a statement. “Voters are not speaking loud enough on this issue. I’m leaving, so there will not be a quorum."

Eyewitness George Clay said County Judge Keith Umphress allowed nearly 2 hours of testimonials before Oliver intervened.

“That's when Gary Oliver stood up and said he's not going to hang around and allow a vote for something with the potential for a longstanding effect on Jack County, with an unelected commissioner.” Clay recalled. “He walked out to a standing ovation. The judge … got red-faced mad.”

Recent polling data released by Anderson Williams Research, the organization tasked with running state Rep. David Spiller’s (R-Jacksboro) campaign, indicates that 58% of Jack County residents oppose the creation of new wind farms, while only 29% support it. The majority of locals (68%) also oppose tax break-offerings to wind farms, while only 23% voters favor them.

Approximately 41% of respondents opposed wind farm tax breaks so strongly that they say they would consider voting to replace any elected official who votes in favor of wind farm tax abatements. An additional 32% would consider a similar decision. And 76% of respondents oppose giving tax abatements to French-owned companies, a related release states.

The fears of residents are further validated by a recent Keep The Country report, which indicates that Lasso Wind tax breaks would result in a $4.5 million loss, replenished only through a 45% tax rate increase for the remaining county landowners. The report also suggests that landowners supporting wind farm tax abatements contribute .5% of annual taxes paid to Jack County and 2.2% of the county’s land value.

Texas Land rights advocate, TLOW, noted a 25-40% value decrease in the area with wind or solar power usage, as well as a general lack of interest in purchasing wind-farm infested lands among buyers within the last six months. Several brokers who sell property in Brown County and the surrounding area, including Comanche and Mills counties, state that eight of 10 buyers will not even look at a property if there are wind turbines in view, states the organization’s site.

Local county group NTHA voiced concerns about wind turbines’ ability to harm surrounding ecosystems, the Texas Business Daily reports.

"There are other issues that we believe both APEX and EDF have overlooked, or have decided to ignore, that deeply concern us,” NTHA states. ”One of the major concerns is the danger a wind farm could pose to our environment. We have known for some time that the migratory route of the highly endangered whooping crane flies through the land that APEX and EDF have leased for their turbines."