School levy could bring $90 million from data center projects

Voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to renew a school levy that could bring local schools an estimated $90 million a year from two proposed data center projects. A report from State Treasurer Larry Pack estimates the Nscale Monarch and Starwood Tamarack projects could generate about $231 million a year in property taxes once fully built. The report projects about $90.3 million in annual school excess-levy revenue. The estimate assumes full buildout. Pack told WCHS the projects would be built in phases with revenue increasing with development status. “For the school to receive any amount from the building of data centers in Mason County, that excess levy has to be passed,” Pack said. The levy vote is a renewal, not a tax-rate increase. The current levy remains in place through June 2029. If approved, the renewal would keep the current rates for five more years. The levy supports staff salary supplements, books and supplies, transportation, school safety, building maintenance, extracurricular activities and the Mason County Career Center. The ballot lets the school board use collections above those needs for education programs and school improvements. It also allows the board to reduce levy rates if rising property assessments generate more money than projected needs. House Bill 2014, enacted in 2025, which limits local authority over development also changed how tax revenue from increased property values at qualifying data centers is distributed. Pack said that if the levy fails, “the property tax bill for the data center projects will be decreased by $90 million. So the data center company will be able to keep that money. None of it will go to the county at all.” He was referring to the projected school excess-levy revenue. The projects would still pay other property taxes, which are distributed separately under state law. Pack said Mason County is weighing the projects’ potential tax revenue against community concerns. “We want growth, right? Reasonable growth, but we also want to keep our quality of life,” he said. FULL STORY: https://wchstv.com/news/local/school-levy-could-bring-90-million-from-data-center-projects _________________________________________ Follow WCHS on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eyewitnessnewscharleston/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wchs8fox11​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wchs8fox11/ For the latest local and national news, visit our website: https://wchstv.com/ Sign up for our newsletter: https://wchstv.com/sign-up