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Henry County commissioners met Tuesday morning to sign and finalize a Chapter 100 tax abatement for Ranger Power, despite efforts by residents to shut down the Beavertail Solar project.
The Chicago-based renewable energy company is building a solar farm within county limits.
RELATED | Henry County residents angry about new solar farm, lack of transparency from county commission
Instead of paying personal property taxes, Ranger Power will pay the county $1.1 million with a 2.5% escalator every year for 25 years. It will be divided among taxing entities like the school district, library, townships and others.
“The issue is the county; it’s the way the county’s handled this,” said Henry County resident Chace Larson. “It’s just as bad here as it is in D.C.”
He is one of many who feels blindsided by the decision by county commissioners to bring a solar farm to town.
While there had been six years of back and forth between the commission and Ranger Power, the majority of the residents found out about the project in February.
“When you’re trying to hide things and you’re trying to keep it a secret from the community, it just brings about ideas of corruption,” said Michael Rosiere, Henry County resident. “And then you have to wonder — what’s the motivation of the commissioners?”
This issue has deeply divided an otherwise like-minded farming community.
“You see these people that are lifelong friends — their kids play together, they played together as kids, they went to school together — and they won’t even speak to each other now over this," Larson said. "If Ranger Power is so good for the community, why is it tearing it apart?”
In addition to the lack of transparency, residents are frustrated commissioners granted a Chapter 100 tax abatement.
They believe the commission should have negotiated for higher PILOT fees or not gotten involved with this business deal in the first place.
“I think that Henry County ended up with a very good deal here,” said Peter Endres, vice president of development at Ranger Power.
The company said it has done its due diligence.
“We’ve partnered with landowners and worked with them for six years. We can’t build these projects without participation from voluntary landowners. We don’t have rights of eminent domain or anything like that, so there are a lot of people who are eager to see this project move forward,” Endres said. “I think, all in all, people have had access to information about the project here. We’ve been open and always willing to talk to neighbors or anyone else who wants to understand what the project is about.”
With the final stamp, the deal is now complete. A 5,000-acre solar farm will sit within Henry County limits.
But regardless of the outcome, Larson said it has always been about the principle of the matter.
“I really wish this would have been handled with a little more class and dignity,” Larson said.
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