Leon County taxpayers are being told that a tax abatement may be necessary to gain “control,” “oversight,” and “enforcement” over a massive new data center project.But does that argument actually hold up?In Episode 17 of the Know Leon County Podcast, we dig into the claims being made to justify a potential tax abatement — and ask some questions every Leon County taxpayer deserves answered.We break down arguments like:• “Without an abatement, they’ll just do whatever they want.”• “We need an abatement to control their water use.”• “We need an abatement to control their power use.”• “We need an abatement to force them to pay.”• “We need an abatement to control the noise.”• “The lawyers say an agreement is the best option.”Here’s the question at the center of this episode:Why should Leon County taxpayers give up millions of dollars in potential tax revenue just to get promises from a company about how it will behave?If a project requires tax breaks just to promise not to destroy the peace, quiet, and property values of surrounding taxpayers, is that really a good deal for Leon County?And if the company already uses closed-loop liquid cooling, why would taxpayers need to subsidize them to do what their own technology already requires?We also examine a major misconception about property taxes: a company does not need a tax abatement agreement before the county can tax it. Property owners may protest valuations, but unpaid taxes can still trigger penalties, interest, tax liens, and collection actions.A tax abatement does not create the obligation to pay taxes.It reduces the taxes owed.Those are two very different things.Watch Episode 17, share it with your neighbors, and tell us in the comments:Would you support giving a massive data center a tax abatement in exchange for promises about noise, water, and oversight — or should they simply pay their taxes like everyone else?Subscribe to Know Leon County for local government coverage, public records, accountability, and conversations about the decisions shaping the future of Leon County, Texas.#LeonCountyTX #KnowLeonCounty #TaxAbatement #DataCenters #TexasPolitics #LocalGovernment #PropertyTaxes #CorporateWelfare #TaxpayerAccountability #GovernmentTransparency #LeonCounty

Know Leon County Podcast | Episode 16: Who's Watching? Surveillance, Transparency, and Taking Action

In Episode 16 of the Know Leon County Podcast, we discuss several issues affecting Leon County and Texans across the state. We recap recent events at the Texas Republican Convention and the public forum in Matagorda and Bay City, examine ongoing concerns about government transparency, and talk about why citizen involvement in local and state government matters.

We also take a hard look at Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate reader technology. These systems collect information about vehicles traveling on public roads and are raising serious questions about privacy, government surveillance, and how emerging technologies could be used in the future.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• Texas Republican Convention recap

• Matagorda and Bay City community meetings

• Government transparency and public meeting agendas

• Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers (ALPR)

• Privacy concerns and surveillance technology in Texas

• Upcoming public hearings on natural resources, water rights, and utility policy

• Why Texans need to stay informed and get involved

Citizen engagement matters. Whether it's showing up at county commissioners court, speaking at public hearings, or simply staying informed, your voice can make a difference.

🔔 Subscribe for more episodes covering:
✔ Leon County news and politics
✔ Texas government and public policy
✔ Data centers, water rights, and energy issues
✔ Property rights and government transparency
✔ Community events and citizen action

👍 Like, comment, and share this episode to help keep Leon County informed.

#KnowLeonCounty #LeonCountyTX #TexasPolitics #GovernmentTransparency #PropertyRights #WaterRights #Privacy #Surveillance #FlockSafety #DataCenters #TexasNews #CitizenEngagement

Fact-Checking the Leon County Commissioners Court | Know Leon County Podcast Ep. 15This week, Daniel and Michael roll the tape. We sit down with select clips from Wednesday's Leon County Commissioners Court and break down the claims made by the County Judge, the Commissioners, and the County Attorney — separating what's accurate from the misinformation and outright false statements presented to the public as fact.If you've ever wondered whether what gets said from the dais holds up to scrutiny, this is the episode for you. We go clip by clip, point out exactly where the record diverges from reality, and give you the context the meeting didn't.We also look back at recent speaking engagements and what they accomplished, plus a rundown of where you can catch Michael speaking next.Know Leon County exists to keep local government honest, transparent, and accountable to the people it serves. If that matters to you, watch, share, and get involved.🎧 More at knowleoncounty.org👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments — what did you catch that we missed?#LeonCounty #KnowLeonCounty #LocalGovernment #Accountability #Transparency #Texas #CommissionersCourt #CivicEngagement

Texas counties are finally fighting back against data centers. Hill

County just became the FIRST in Texas to pass a moratorium — and Leon

County has 12 major projects pending right now.

In Episode 14 of the Know Leon County Podcast, Michael Rice and Daniel

McCoslin connect the dots from Hill County's historic 3-2 vote to Red

Oak's midnight rezoning, OpenAI's Stargate supercluster in Milam County,

the SpaceX chip plant in Grimes County, and the Corpus Christi water

crisis that should terrify every rural Texan.

We cover:

- Why Hill County's moratorium is the new playbook for rural Texas

- The 12 energy and BESS projects pending in Leon County (before you

count data centers)

- How "midnight votes" get 830-acre rezonings passed before residents

even know about them

- Why OpenAI's Stargate is NOT just another data center

- The UT Austin report projecting data centers will consume 3% to 9%

of all Texas water by 2040

- How Corpus Christi ended up rationing residential water while

ExxonMobil, Valero, and Oxy kept pumping 55 million gallons a day

- What the 391 Planning Commission actually does — and why Leon County

finally getting one done matters

If you live in rural Texas, this one's for you. Share it with your

neighbors, and show up to your next commissioners court meeting.

Learn more, read the show notes, and get involved:

https://knowleoncounty.org

Citizens for Responsible Growth: https://crglc.org

Follow the show for weekly Leon County civic news and rural Texas

deep-dives. New episodes every week.

Two weeks of news, one episode to catch you up. Michael, Daniel, and Ann break down everything that's been happening in Leon County, across the surrounding region, and at the state level — from a brand new planning committee that may or may not have any real power, to a solar and BESS facility that just broke ground on Highway 3 with no county fire marshal in place to inspect it.

IN THIS EPISODE:

LEON COUNTY

The 391 Planning Commission is now official. Commissioners passed the resolution on January 29th and published the public application on March 9th — but only one citizen seat is available. We should be celebrating this, but the county has already made clear the committee has no binding authority and commissioners aren't required to act on its recommendations. Is this meaningful input or just optics?

The Pecan Solar and BESS facility near Hilltop on Highway 3 has broken ground after sitting dormant since 2018. Now that construction has started, two questions need answers fast: Are they complying with fire codes with no county fire marshal to inspect them? And are CATL or Gotion components anywhere in their supply chain?

SURROUNDING COUNTIES

Robertson County residents are discovering what Leon County already knows — reinvestment zones for solar farms can be approved quietly, with little public notice. The response from county leadership has been dismissive. We are actively helping Robertson County organizers get up to speed.

Van Zandt County's unanimous moratorium is one month strong and still holding. Citizen activist Nancy White, Fire Marshal Kevin Palmer, and a commissioners court that actually listened made it happen. The trigger was finding CATL battery products — on the Texas Prohibited Technology List — in planned projects. This is proof that engaged leadership and community organizing can make a real difference.

Grimes County found out on March 10th that Geronimo Power is planning a massive data center near Iola and a BESS facility in Singleton — because Geronimo called the mayor. There is a community meeting on March 19th at 6pm at the Iola Community Center. If you know anyone in Grimes County, spread the word.

STATE LEVEL

At a recent Leon County Commissioner's Court session, a commissioner openly admitted the commissioners are not fire experts — and then a burn ban was lifted during extreme drought conditions with no formal process and no consultation with the U.S. Forest Service. That admission is exactly the argument for hiring a county fire marshal. BESS fires, solar installation fires, and data center failures are not hypothetical. Other Texas counties are dealing with them right now.

CATL and Gotion are subject to Chinese cybersecurity and national intelligence laws, giving the Chinese government legal authority over their products. Texas has placed both on the Prohibited Technologies List, yet no law requires developers to disclose what battery cells are going into these projects. At least three Texas BESS projects are implicated. Counties have tools to act right now — local ordinances, 391 committees, and development agreements can all require disclosure.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If you are in Leon County, apply for the 391 Planning Commission or encourage someone you trust to apply. If you are in Grimes County, get to the March 19th meeting in Iola. Follow Van Zandt County's lead — community organizing plus elected officials who listen equals results. And share this episode. These stories are happening faster than most people realize, and awareness is the first line of defense.

Know Leon County is an independent podcast covering local government, land use, energy infrastructure, and community issues in Leon County, Texas and the surrounding region.

As rural Texas experiences rapid growth, many residents are asking important questions about fire safety, inspections, and large industrial development.

In this episode, we sit down with Kevin Palmer, Fire Marshal of Van Zandt County, to walk through how fire prevention actually works at the county level.

We discuss:

• What a fire marshal does day-to-day

• Where their authority comes from in Texas

• How fire codes are adopted and enforced

• What happens in counties without a fire marshal

• Whether these positions “pay for themselves”

• Inspection fees and funding questions

• Fire risks associated with large industrial sites

• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and how those fires are handled

• What small business owners can expect during inspections

This is a public education conversation designed to help rural communities better understand how fire safety systems function before emergencies happen.

Michael and Daniel sit down with water expert Dr. Charles Porter to talk about how water rights work in Texas and what landowners should understand before major development reaches rural areas.

The discussion covers ownership of groundwater, differences between water and mineral rights, shared aquifers, and how large industrial users can affect surrounding communities.

This episode is part of the Know Leon County Podcast.

We sit down with Scott MacLeod, candidate for U.S. Congress in Texas’s 10th Congressional District, to talk about why he’s running and the issues facing the district.

The conversation covers representation for rural communities, infrastructure, energy development, and what constituents expect from Congress.

This episode is part of the Know Leon County Podcast.