Court approves $750,000 county portion of $1.5M final draw for Ooze and Ooze

McLennan County Commissioners Court on Jan. 7 approved disbursing the county’s portion of a final incentive draw request from Ooze and Ooze.

Lexi, representing the Chamber and speaking on behalf of Ooze and Ooze, told the court the company’s initial payment of $500,000 was made upon closing of its land on Feb. 10, 2021. The company requested a final payment totaling $1,500,000; Lexi said $750,000 of that amount would come from the county. Staff reported they had verified the company created 42 jobs as required by the contract. The contract required an average wage of $17.50; staff said the company’s reported actual average wage is $33.98, with a minimum wage of $19.50.

Court members asked about the term of the agreement; staff confirmed an amendment extended the agreement and that the term runs through Dec. 31, 2027. The court moved and seconded approval of the final draw request; the motion carried.

What the court approved: authorization to release the county portion ($750,000) of the final $1,500,000 incentive payment to Ooze and Ooze, conditional on staff verification of the contract terms as reported at the meeting. The contract’s original and amended terms (including job and wage commitments and the full payment schedule) were not read into the record in full during the discussion.

Missing details: The meeting did not specify the contract’s formal title or ordinance number, the exact disbursement schedule, or the source of county funds for this payment beyond the statement that $750,000 would be the county share.