Plans for a proposed data center near LaGrange were filed late last week in what would be one of the largest projects in state history. The $9.7 billion data center, dubbed “Project West,” would host a six building campus across 513 acres. Georgia has become a data center hotspot in recent years, even amidst concerns over the strain they put on the power grid. But state and local officials are working on solutions alongside energy providers like Georgia Power, and point to the massive local investments and jobs created. Project West would create nearly 600 jobs with an average annual salary of $80,000, and generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the local city, county, and school systems. RISING…
Atlanta, Fulton Co. square off in tax fight
The City of Atlanta has long used tax allocation districts (TADs) as an economic development tool, leveraging property tax increases to pay for local infrastructure projects. But the Fulton County Commission has slammed on the brakes, voting 4-1 to reject a proposed 30-year extension of Atlanta’s TADs. That sets up a major budgetary clash, as the Fulton TADs would be expected to generate over a billion dollars over that period. Now the county will vote on TADs on a case by case basis, with stricter oversight and enforcement, leaving Atlanta’s money faucet DRIFTING…
