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To the Editor,
Hancock is the smallest county in West Virginia; 88 square miles precisely, why are we giving the farm away for free? The EDA of West Virginia offered NUCOR (and the commission approved 2-1) a 30-year, tax-free lease for an unlimited amount of our land treating it like it has no value, and not understanding the effects of the economic strategy of our county. Other businesses pay full ticket price, I know many people who pay more taxes for their home compared to the tax bill that NUCOR will pay according to this agreement. How will citizens ever see tax cuts when businesses have 30-year tax free leases with the state?
With only 88 square miles to work with, we need to be smart and strategic when approving these deals that are negotiated 200 miles away from here.
What we have to offer is river transportation, water, beautiful land rich with natural resources, and safe communities. By exempting it from taxes, we are saying "We don't think we have much to offer, so please come, make yourself at home. Also, no need to contribute to the resources that keep our communities safe, our volunteers and response teams will pay their taxes, so you don't have to."
The NUCOR site in Hancock County is valuable to them, they will use that site to pull coils from barges and put them on our roads to send them out all over the northeastern part of the continent. They will not pay taxes on the inventory they transport through the site and they won't tell us how many jobs they will create. I want to remind people that Cleveland Cliffs has paid over $3 million in taxes, the tax on the currently owned raw land purchased by NUCOR is $75,000 according to the $12,000,000 purchase price. I have a hunch they could afford their tax bill, 30 years is too long to be exempt.
Eron Chek
Hancock County Commissioner