Dear Editor:
This letter is in response to the Oct. 14 News-Telegram article [“County OKs solar farm start in Dike”] which reported that the commissioners court had extended the construction deadline date on the contract for Solemio Solar Farm—a large solar farm proposed to be built directly adjoining Sulphur Springs city limits near Rock Creek subdivision, as well as several residential homes and local farms. D
Last spring, several landowners near this project met with the commissioners in order to present a petition signed by more than 100 community members, expressing complete opposition to this project. The members of this group also expressed disappointment and anger originating from the lack of communication from the commissioners regarding this project prior to its approval.
At that meeting, one of the commissioners stated that in hindsight, he wished they would have made more of an effort to gather input from surrounding residents prior to the vote; therefore, imagine our surprise to read the article in last week’s News-Telegram, reporting that this contract extension was unanimously approved—once again without any contact with (or consideration of) community members who had specifically asked to be informed of subsequent project actions and whom the commissioners were elected to represent.
This article also stated that the reason the project had not started was due to COVID-19. It is completely laughable that anyone would buy into that excuse. This project would be considered infrastructure and, as such, would not have been shut down. Furthermore, COVID-19’s initial impact on our economy was March 2020, and according to the original contract, much of the construction of this project was to have been completed prior to this date.
The real truth is that the developers of this project have continually lied and manipulated their way into our community. Unfortunately, county commissioners and school board members continue to buy into the false assumption that they will gain millions of tax dollars in exchange for a 70% 10-year tax abatement on these projects and continue to approve one after another.
However, a front-page article in the Aug. 12 News-Telegram [“Board hears construction management pitch”] quoted John Blackburn, an advisor at Live Oak Public Finance in Austin, who stated that “solar farms lose their tax value quickly.” When we fact-checked this statement with our accountant, he affirmed that the tax value would be near zero after seven years.
Therefore, while the 30-year promised tax dollar income will never be realized, the longterm negative and costly effects on adjoining and nearby landowners will be substantial and lasting. The project developers are from Romania (not Texas residents or even U.S. citizens), and it is disheartening to be continually let down by our local, elected officials on whom we rely as our front line of defense against such.
Sincerely,
Keven and Shari Mohl
Sulphur Springs