KERENS–Kerens ISD trustees voted Nov. 28 to approve a tax agreement under the Texas Economic Development Act for Elm Flats Solar, a proposed solar facility that is planned within the district near Powell.
Kenny Berry voted no on the agreement while Matt Lynch abstained. The state law allowing such agreements, also known as Chapter 313, limits the appraised property value for school district maintenance and operations (M&O) taxes.
The school board unanimously approved findings about the application to the Texas Comptroller for the tax agreement. Those findings were covered during the meeting by the district’s attorney, John Janssen of the Leon Alcala law firm. Some of the findings state that the proposed investment totals $162,175,545, that the project would have one employee (a number for which the district requested a waiver from the state minimum for job creation) and that the tax limitation amount requested by the applicant totals $40 million.
The board also approved two budget amendments, one of which moves $80,000 from the food services reserve fund to payroll, food, equipment and supplies. Another amendment uses $50,650 from Chapter 313 receipts from the Fence Post Solar Project and applies that money to transportation and facilities.
In other business, the board:
• Learned the district scored a 96 on the Texas Education Agency’s Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) final report.
• Held a public hearing to take comments on tax agreement applications for Elm Flats Solar, Gaia Solar and Navarro County Wind.
• Approved moving the December regular meeting to Monday, Dec. 12.
• Approved a $26,976.18 payment to Navarro Central Appraisal District.