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Board approves performance agreement to pursue Publix grocery; incentive capped at lesser of $300,000 or 50% of project tax revenue
Summary
Caroline County approved a performance incentive agreement to help recruit a Publix grocery store, authorizing the county administrator or chair to sign. The incentive could total up to $3 million paid from project tax revenues under a 14-year agreement that allows up to 10 years of annual rebates.
The Caroline County Board of Supervisors approved a performance agreement to provide a tax-revenue–backed incentive aimed at recruiting a Publix grocery store to a buy-right portion of a planned shopping-center parcel.
County staff explained the incentive would be paid from the tax revenue generated by the project, capped each year at the lesser of $300,000 or 50% of the project’s annual tax revenue, and structured so the total incentive cannot exceed $3,000,000. Staff described a 14-year agreement term to permit several startup years followed by up to 10 years of annual payments.
Economic development director Gary Wilson said private-sector retail consultants helped reshape the county’s market-area analysis and provided data showing the county “is leaking $48,000,000 worth of sales in groceries outside of the county,” a figure he described as part of the case for recruitment. He and staff emphasized the agreement is site-specific to the portion of the parcel zoned for grocery use and that other entitlements and private negotiations remain necessary before a store opens.
Supervisor Black moved to approve the incentive agreement and to authorize either the county administrator or the board chair to sign the performance agreement on the county’s behalf. The motion passed on a voice vote.
What this means: The board has authorized staff to finalize and sign a performance agreement that could make tax-rebate payments to a future Publix store if the development meets the agreement’s revenue thresholds and other conditions. The approval opens the path for further private negotiations and development steps but does not guarantee a store will be built.
