Resident presses commissioners on data-center talks, NDAs and potential tax incentives

A resident raised sharply worded questions during public comment about proposed data-center activity connected to Team Neo and BitDeer, asking whether county officials had met privately with developers, whether tax incentives or abatements were under consideration, and whether commissioners had been asked to sign nondisclosure agreements.

The resident asked directly, "I was reading on the Team Neo website that they have met with the commissioners?" and pressed for clarity about any authorization or incentives. A commissioner responded: "There will be none," when asked whether sales-tax abatements would be offered at the county level, saying any such exemption would be handled at the state level. The commissioner added that the board had been kept informed to the extent residents called and that commissioners would not sign agreements without reviewing their terms: "I don't sign anything till I know what the factors are within it."

Commissioners repeatedly told the resident that county authority over incentives is limited and that some decisions move through state processes and township review. One commissioner described listening to residents' concerns and pledged to pass those concerns along to relevant officials. The exchange reflected significant local apprehension about the scale and transparency of proposed projects and underscored requests from constituents for clearer public information about meetings, incentives and any confidentiality agreements.

The board did not take action on the project during the meeting; commissioners said they would continue to receive resident input and that state and township processes would determine whether incentives or abatements could be applied.