$34K solar PILOT negotiated

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By Matthew Saari

After nearly a year of negotiations, the final payment in lieu of taxes may be finalized.

Assessor Bruce Caza informed the Whitehall Town Board during their February meeting that he had reached an agreement to the tune of $34,000 with Borrego Solar, the company developing the solar farms on Cemetery Lane and Buckley Road.

“I spoke with Dave Bagley [Borrego Solar representative] a week ago…we came up with an assessment around $5.1 million for each of the three projects,” Caza said. “We calculated the taxes and it was a base of $20,000.”

Caza said he informed Bagley that town supervisor John Rozell wanted an additional $14,000.

“We got the $14,000,” Caza said.

During an interview last week, Caza explained how much of a boon this sum will be to the local area.

Prior to the three projects being developed, the land generated an estimated tax revenue of $1,200 to $1,500, Caza said.

“It was pasture land,” he added.

Of that $34,000 sum, $20,000 will be the base tax rate and $14,000 will be the PILOT payment.

 

This is only a preview of the story published in the Whitehall Times. To read the full story, pick up a print copy of this week’s paper at the newsstand or read it online here.