here is the second page of that article from the Perry Herald.
School board awaiting attorney’s opinion
city council and school
board approving their own
incentives.
City Manager Bob Brown
addressed the commission
Monday, outlining a series
of proposals the city was
considering as part of the
combined incentive package
for Project Freedom.
Although the project is not
expected to be sited within
the city limits and therefore
would not pay city property
taxes, the city is considering
utility rate concessions
totaling $8 million over 10
years with the company
becoming a city natural gas
and water customer.
According to Brown, to
serve the company, the city
would need to make between
$3 million and $3.5 million
in utility infrastructure
upgrades.
Additionally, Brown said
the city would consider
co-signing a short-term
(12-month) loan taken out
by the TCDA on behalf of
Project Freedom to provide a
line of credit. Conceptually,
the company would have the
ability to draw upon the line
of credit as needed, but only
for site work conducted in
Perry, he said.
The company will have
access to permanent funding
sources once equipment is on
site and work on buildings is
underway, at which time it
could repay the short term
loan, Brown said.
Last week, Taylor County
Economic Developer Scott
Frederick and County
Administrator Jack Brown
addressed the school board,
asking them to consider an
interlocal agreement with
the county under which they
would contribute 25 percent
of the school district’s
increased tax revenue from
the project to the county. The
school board does not have a
mechanism to offer property
tax abatements, but Jack
Brown said the TCDA had
consulted attorneys who said
such an interlocal agreement
was possible.
When asked Thursday,
Superintendent of Schools
Paul Dyal said the school
board did not have the item
on the agenda for its regular
meeting on Tuesday, April
15, and was awaiting an
opinion from School Board
Attorney Angela Ball on the
legality of the proposal.
According to Frederick,
the TCDA has been in
talks with Project Freedom
representatives for the past
10 to 11 weeks.
The company is looking
at potential sites in Florida,
Georgia and Louisiana, he
said.
Project Freedom is
looking to be in production
within 12 to 18 months from
the point the agreements are
signed, Frederick continued.
The company is projected to
create 52-55 manufacturing
jobs with a starting salary
around $38,000 plus
benefits.
Frederick called the
proposal “capital intensive”
and said the total investment
here could total between
$100 million and $220
AI
