Board asks planning commission to review data-center rules after resident flags low tax receipts

Christina Herd, representing Scott County Strong, told supervisors she had reviewed tax records for a data center near Duffield and said the facility paid only about $5,700 in combined property and personal-property taxes last year and that one building on the site appeared not to be taxed. Herd urged the board to consider an ordinance to limit new data centers until the county can ensure they provide the expected revenue and minimize environmental impacts such as water use.

Supervisors directed County Administrator Mr. Wilson and the planning staff (and the planning commission) to investigate how other Virginia counties regulate data centers and to develop zoning language or an ordinance if appropriate. Miss Kegley said data-center regulation would fall under the zoning ordinance and the planning commission would initiate any text amendment. Board members expressed interest in requiring the newest, most water-efficient technologies if a data center locates in the county.

Staff said they would check tax assessments and confer with the commissioner of the revenue's office about a building that appeared untaxed; the board noted a previously adopted regional incentive ordinance (Lonesome Pine RIFA) had offered a lower tax rate for data centers and that any change would affect only new projects.

Next steps: staff will research model ordinances and state guidance, compare nearby counties' approaches, confirm current assessments for the Duffield property, and report back to the planning commission and the board.