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Committee member flags data-center tax valuations, water permitting and moratorium extension as county priorities
Summary
A committee member told the board that data-center valuations and business personal property filings for the Marble(s) facility appear inconsistent with industry averages, urged review of DEQ water-permitting rules for ‘‘high-impact’’ wells, and suggested extending the county moratorium to buy time for state or regional action.
A committee member briefed the Swain County Board of Commissioners on how data centers are valued for property and business personal property taxes and warned that published figures for nearby facilities appear low.
“The assessed value on public record for Cherokee for this facility, as of 2025, is not even $14,000,000… It's 13,647,460,” the committee member said, noting the facility paid $90,619 in parcel taxes in 2025 and that reported business personal property was only $8,108 — a number the speaker called “bogus.” The presenter walked the board through hypothetical valuations per megawatt and showed how small changes in per-megawatt assumptions markedly change annual tax revenue estimates.
The presenter also summarized meetings with the state Division of Environmental Quality about groundwater withdrawal. He said DEQ classifies ‘‘high-impact’’ wells as those withdrawing 100,000 gallons per day or more and that DEQ will issue permits but does not typically preemptively block proposed withdrawals based on cumulative facility impact. “High impact wells require permits, and that's it,” he said. The speaker emphasized that local ordinances and land-use controls would be the county’s principal tools to restrict or shape new water uses.
On county policy, the committee member said the moratorium the board adopted earlier does not cover the City of Bryson and that the moratorium committee is considering whether to seek a longer extension while state and federal proposals mature. “If it's something that could be a year or 2 years… that would definitely be worth the investment,” the presenter said, recommending further research and possible ordinance action.
The board did not take an immediate vote on extending the moratorium during the presentation; the committee member asked for questions before moving to the next agenda item.
Swain County officials at the meeting said they will continue research on valuation methodology, monitor 2026 published assessments, and consider legal and land-use options to address water and tax concerns.
