Commissioners ask staff to quantify past tax abatement for RTC before deciding on extension

Davis County commissioners on Sept. 23 directed staff to gather detailed data on an Infrastructure Development Zone (IDZ) abatement granted to RTC in 2021 and to request updated information from RTC before deciding whether to extend the abatement. County staff said the 2021 agreement provided a five‑year, 100% abatement on specified investments related to RTC’s fiber deployment and that RTC’s coverage in the county has since expanded. Commissioners asked staff to quantify the value of the abatement (the revenue not collected) and to ask RTC for updated coverage maps and a four‑year deployment plan to evaluate whether an extension would be justified. "I just think you all should know maybe what it what the cost of that was. Right? So how much was abated?" said Grant, a county staff member. Commissioners emphasized balancing incentives with the county’s interest in maximizing broadband availability. Commissioners asked staff (Grant and others) to reach out to RTC and obtain the requested numbers in time for a discussion at an upcoming meeting; staff said the original agreement runs through next year and that failure to act could extend it under existing terms.