As predicted by the spokesperson for Business Oregon, the issue of the legality of the City’s approval of tax abatement applications for data centers that are for dates years in the future will be decided in Court.
One reason courts exist is to determine whether the government is exceeding it’s authority. So I welcome this development and call for the parties to move swiftly through the process. There are legitimate arguments on both sides, and a final judicial decision will give our community finality and certainty moving forward.
It’s unfortunate that the state drafted its tax abatement legislation without considering serial applications for the same tax lot. It’s unfortunate that Business Oregon, the agency charged with overseeing the enterprise zone legislation, offered no direction or interpretation of the legality of that use of the statute and that the Oregon Department of Justice likewise declined to interpret the statute. But that’s where we are.
And that’s fine.
These are my own views and not the official views of the City of Hillsboro.
Rob Harris