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Heidelberg Materials seeks 10‑year tax abatement for 127.94‑acre Eagle Lake site; commissioner recuses
Summary
Heidelberg Materials asked Colorado County to designate about 127.94 acres as a reinvestment zone under Texas Tax Code Chapter 312 and requested a sliding 10‑year abatement. Commissioner Darrell Gertson filed an affidavit and abstained from any vote because of a family tie to the property’s lessor.
The Colorado County Commissioners Court held a public hearing Feb. 23 on an application from Heidelberg Materials Southwest LLC to designate roughly 127.94 acres in the McLain and McNair Survey (Precinct 4) as a reinvestment zone under Texas Tax Code Chapter 312.
Lalit Bhatnagar, vice president of land, environment and strategic projects for Heidelberg Materials, told the court the company has operated in the county for 89 years, currently provides 16 jobs with benefits and is investing in upgrades at its Eagle Lake plant. He said the company is seeking a tax abatement tied to that reinvestment; the company does not currently anticipate adding new jobs as part of the project, he said.
Judge Ty Prause summarized the proposed abatement schedule presented by the applicant: 100% abatement in years one and two, 80% in years three and four, 60% in years five and six, 40% in years seven and eight, and 20% in years nine and ten. After receiving public testimony and staff information, the hearing was closed at 9:28 a.m.
Commissioner Darrell Gertson filed an affidavit under Chapter 171 of the Texas Local Government Code disclosing that a paternal uncle is the lessor of the property on which Heidelberg Materials is the lessee; he stated he will abstain from voting on matters involving Heidelberg Materials. The court recorded the affidavit in the meeting minutes and noted Gertson’s recusal for related items.
No final action designating the reinvestment zone appears in the minutes for Feb. 23. The public‑hearing record and the court’s procedures indicate the hearing was intended to inform a future decision about whether to designate the zone and to permit the county to consider any abatement agreement under Chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code.
What happens next: Commissioners may take formal action on the reinvestment‑zone designation at a later open meeting and, if approved, could negotiate tax‑abatement terms with property owners or the applicant.
