Fort Mill solar panel plant’s tax deal headed for a key vote. It could fall flat
An economic incentive deal touting hundreds of new jobs in York County could inch forward or fall flat Monday night as an even larger one awaits.
An economic development deal targeting 800 new jobs is up for the second of three votes needed to create tax incentives for a solar panel production project. There’s also a public hearing scheduled for Monday night.
County documents released Friday outline the deal among the county, Silfab Solar Cells and Silfab Solar. The manufacturing project at one or more sites, initially called Project Mountie, has financial requirements largely unchanged from the first approval vote in March. The deal would bring $150 million of investment and at least 800 new, full-time jobs.
The incentive deal would allow the company to pay a negotiated fee rather than taxes for a set period. That fee would be based on a reduced rate compared to typical corporate taxes.
The deal is anything but done. Fort Mill residents poured into that March meeting when the Silfab deal got its initial approval. Many complained of traffic in the areas around its 7149 Logistics Lane address. Council initially deferred a first vote in February before approving it in March.
Even then, the two council members closest to the Silfab site — Debi Cloninger and Tom Audette — voted against the incentive deal. Council Chair Christi Cox voted for it, but noted her decision was more to allow time for more information and negotiation than it was support of the project.
Council members who ultimately vote against deals at final readings often vote for them at the first reading to gather more information or let the applicant address community concerns. But just as often, council members who aren’t sold initially on a plan will endorse it in later readings after changes by the applicant.
If council moves forward again Monday night with the Silfab project, it still would require one last approval at a future council meeting. Council next meets Sept. 5.
Project Cobra
A larger economic incentive deal, projected at $1 billion, won’t be decided Monday.
The county’s deal known as Project Cobra remains on the table. It got the second of three approval votes it needs at York County Council’s most recent meeting last month. A public hearing and final approval would set up a tax incentive deal for a yet-unnamed company projecting a $1 billion investment.
The Herald, through recent property sales, linked Project Cobra property in Lake Wylie with Kansas company QTS Data Centers. County documents that don’t list the company yet by name do list the project as a data center site.
Do recent land transactions point to $1 billion Project Cobra deal in York County?
Monday night is the first council meeting where that group could have finalized the Project Cobra incentive deal, but there’s no vote listed on the agenda.
