As the [AJC](https://www.ajc.com/news/fulton-board-to-consider-10m-tax-break-to-x-formerly-twitter/4V66VOJ73RCFPA5DI54FAFVLBA/) reported, X (formerly Twitter) appealed to the Development Agency of Fulton County to try and grab over $10 million in property tax breaks on their data center here in Atlanta to upgrade the server farm… But providing no additional jobs… which is why the tax breaks are there in the first place! 🥴

source: Atlanta Journal Constitution dated 3 Dec 2023

Everyone knows that these tax breaks should be going to fund any development that directly enhances the livelihood of Atlanta residents and for no other purpose. Job creation, educational, cultural and infrastructure enhancement are all good reasons to consider giving a company a tax break as an incentive to be here and will soon show up tangibly as residents have easier ways to get around, are better educated, healthier and of course prosperous. This equates to a win-win as it usually shows a bump in tax revenues a few years later.

However since X’s datacenter currently only has 24 full-time staff and no other staff are planned on being hired, there’s really no reason to give away $10 million + of our tax bucks that really need to be spent on the things I outlined above.

I agree with @threadatl@threads.net when he says:

Atlanta needs to reject this ingrained culture of giving away tax inducements to major developments that offer little or no benefit to neighborhood residents (or to neighborhood small businesses for that matter).

https://www.threads.net/@threadatl/post/C0cglEUPAo7

We have to shake this culture of “giveaway to play” when it comes to our civic monies and assets unless they directly, tangibly, OSTENSIBLY provide benefit to ALL within the boundaries of the city/county/state’s taxpayers.

Thankfully, it did not pass, likely due to a lot of councilmembers suddenly hearing about it from their constituents I’ll bet:

 

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