Levelland City Manager Rick Osburn met with the commissioners to thank them for their endorsement of the TIF zone and to ask them to put their support into a resolution, which they approved unanimously.  He told commissioners that the South Plains College Board of Regents will consider the TIF proposal at their April meeting and that the college’s involvement will be essential to make the whole program work. 

“Basically, there is no risk with the taxing entities benefiting from personal property and inventory taxes if Project Gorilla goes forward,” Osburn said.  “Not doing it is the biggest loss.”  This TIF is to encourage industrial development.

The city and the Levelland Economic Development Corporation have been working on a project which will require the construction of a 550,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility, which would add about $28 million in new real property value and $60 million in personal property consisting of manufacturing equipment and inventory. 

By law, new taxes generated by real property development go into the TIF program to pay for the infrastructure while new taxes from new personal property would go directly to the taxing entities. 

Osburn agreed that the Levelland TIF Zone #1 the city and county participate in has done exactly what it was supposed to do: stimulate housing construction.  The goal was seven new houses; it has already resulted in 19 new houses being permitted.  Osburn also asked that commissioners appoint a representative to serve on the new TIF board.  Commissioner J.L. “Whitey” Barnett agreed to serve in that capacity.

Commissioners also authorized the filing of paperwork for the upcoming multi-purpose event center bond election, approved refunds of overpayments of property taxes, denied the resale of property in Sundown, approved a resolution which will allow the county to be reimbursed for expenses associated with the multi-purpose event center if the bond issue passes, and okayed an interlocal agreement between the city and the count in regard to a Justice Assistance Grant Program application and possible grant.