October 25, 2006
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Waymart Wind Farm, L.P. (Waymart) has reached an agreement in lieu of taxes with the Wayne County Board of the Assessment & Revision of Taxes. Although Western Wayne and Forest City School Districts are also mentioned in the agreement, the copy given to media during the Wayne County Board of Assessment & Revision of Taxes on October 24th only showed Wayne County Commissioner, Chairman Anthony Herzog as a signator.
According to the Stipulation and Settlement Agreement : “The annual payment in lieu of taxes component shall be calculated based on the sum of each taxing district’s share calculated as the total millage rate of each individual tax district multiplied by $69,750.00 and then multiplied by the number of turbines located in that tax district…”
The agreement also documents that this formula is to be used: “…each tax year until the dismantlement of the wind farm project.”
In segment four of the agreement, Wayne County and the appropriate school districts are asked to: “…withdraw their opposition to the passage of legislation setting forth the tax assessment and valuation of wind farms in accordance with paragraph 1 herein and consistent with the amended language of House Bill 1863 regarding Section 1783 of the County Code (P.L. 323, No. 130).
A pilot agreement document was received by the Wayne County Board of Assessment & Revision of Taxes from Ecumenical Enterprises, owner of the subject matter Maple City Apartments in Honesdale. In lieu of taxes, a payment of $5,000 to the County, $5,000 for Honesdale Borough and $5,000 for Wayne Highland School District has been offered to be paid on an annual basis for an indefinite period of time.
The Board stated they had nothing to sign on this day except to acknowledge the document has been received and gratitude was expressed.
By Diane L. T. Boothe
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/10/25/wind-farm-county-reach-tax-agreement/