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As a critical vote by the City-County Council approaches on whether to rezone 467 acres in Franklin Township for Google’s proposed billion-dollar data center, the local school district has changed its stance on the controversial project and is now supporting its development.
On Monday, Franklin Township Community School Corp. sent a statement to councilors—the majority of whom have publicly voiced opposition to the project—in support of the data center. District Superintendent Chase Huotari wrote that there is a need to diversify the township’s heavily residential tax base with commercial development.
Representatives for Franklin Township Community School Corp. did not respond to multiple requests for comment from IBJ.
Huotari’s letter also mentioned an agreement between the city of Indianapolis and Google that “ensures that fair property tax revenue flows to our schools.”
That is in reference to the property tax deal that the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission is currently mulling. Under a 10-year property tax abatement for the project’s first building, Google would see its property tax bill halved from $5.4 million over the period to $2.7 million.
Under that proposal, Google would still pay at least $1 million in property taxes per year for 40 years. The abatement must still be considered by the commission and is scheduled to be presented for a public hearing on Oct. 1.
However, on Aug. 4, the district wrote to the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission that the school corporation would not support the development unless it was pursued without a tax abatement or a tax-increment financing district.
“These incentives would divert critical property tax revenues away from our schools and other essential services, directly impacting our ability to serve a rapidly growing student population,” the letter, signed by Huotari and district Chief Operating Officer Fred McWhorter II, said.
The letter surfaced on social media in light of the district’s updated stance, but was first acquired from the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development by local activists in response to records requests.
Joe Calderon, an Indianapolis attorney who has represented the Google project, told IBJ he could not comment beyond verifying the legitimacy of the district’s letter of support.
‘They’re part of it now’
Any contribution from the tech company to the school could be shielded by nondisclosure agreements.
Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, a vocal opponent of the project, said he had to sign such an agreement himself at the start of the process. He said the superintendent declined to share details with him, the district’s elected representative, citing his own nondisclosure agreement.
Hart said the superintendent, in an earlier conversation, said the district might support the project if Google committed to making a large donation to the school’s charitable fund.
Hart isn’t the only stakeholder expressing concern about the school’s change in position.
“The community is not happy about their change of stance,” said Andrew Filler, an organizer with advocacy group Protect Franklin Township. He added, “They must be offering them something that we should know about. It’s unfortunate.”
At least two residents who have reached out to Huotari directly to express their concern have received responses from the superintendent that focus on the potential economic benefit for the school system.
In one email posted to the public Protect Franklin Facebook page, the superintendent told one concerned resident “reports that Google will pay no property taxes—for any amount of time—are not true.” Another response from Huotari posted to the group reiterates that Google will pay taxes.
“The absence of a commercial industry means we receive (on a per-student average) 11 million dollars less a year than other schools in our county,” Huotari wrote. “The only way to rectify that inequity is to bring industry to Franklin Township.”
The Indianapolis City-County Council is set to take a key vote on the project on Sept. 22.
Seventeen councilors on the 25-member governing body have come out against the project, but the final vote won’t be taken until after a public hearing in which both supporters and remonstrators will plead their case on the rezoning. The rezoning request will fail if 15 council members vote against it.
Hart said the school district’s support puts him and other council members in a weird spot.
“Essentially, now they’re lobbying [for the data center],” Hart said. “They’re part of it now, when this is a council thing.”
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We’ll see on Monday who else took the money.
Money talks louder than people that is what is causing the slide into an Oligarchic governance .of our country.
Money is the root of all evils, according to one rather famous book that millions of supposed Christians claim to follow.