San Angelo City government is readying for significant business growth. City Council, the Development Corporation and the Chamber of Commerce need to resolve lingering issues to take advantage of the coming boom. Chamber Chief Steve Ahlenius expects significant projects over the next 18-24 months.
The top position at the City of San Angelo Development Corporation (COSADC) remains unfilled after former Executive Director Guy Andrews "retired." Assistant City Manager Michael Dane took on the interim leader role for COSADC.
The Chamber of Commerce performs significant economic development duties for the Development Corporation. At times City Council has taken a more confrontational approach to this contract. That should end and any historical animus should be set aside. Most of the players are new and capable of finding a way forward that encourages growth that benefits all the citizens of San Angelo, not just private equity backed Tech Giants with hard hurdle rates in terms of local taxes.
Balance is important and frankly, badly needed. Council approved a three year 85% abatement of ad valorem taxes for the Zeppelin Battery Storage project prior to adding two new co-pays for retired city employees, many on miniscule monthly incomes. The city will abate $2.4 million over three years for a project that provides virtually no jobs.
Mayor Tom Thompson nominated Councilman Tommy Hiebert for Mayor Pro Tem. Tommy spent many years on the Development Corporation Board.
Chamber Economic Development Executive Mike Berry said projects under consideration could shift the burden of taxation from homeowners to corporations. For that to happen City Council cannot abate, abate and abate. There will be infrastructure needs associated with these projects, city staff has been chronically underpaid and commitments made to retirees years ago need to honored and prior damage reversed.
Things could get much wilder if the oilfield wakes up. That money has made people do crazy things.
Final note, the city giving away millions in tax money hollows out their longtime screed about Shannon Health's nonprofit status. Shannon provides lots of local jobs, for now. That used to be the purpose of Economic Development Corporations, recruitment of primary jobs. Time will reveal what all this new "intelligent" technology will do to our community.