Barre should seek full taxation for turbines, not a PILOT

Editor:

The residents of Barre need to know that Heritage Wind, AKA, Apex, would like the town of Barre to agree to a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) program.

This is unsettling because a PILOT program is only supposed to be offered to a company when their project brings new, permanent jobs. But to the best of our knowledge, Industrial Wind Turbines operate autonomously and do *not* create any permanent jobs.

So how can a PILOT program be legal for this situation?

And even if it were legal, which it isn’t, it isn’t the best deal for Barre anyway. The county, the schools and the fire department would all get a cut of the PILOT funds before Barre, where the turbines are actually being built, would get anything.

Furthermore, Mr. Editor, common sense dictates that if Payment In Lieu of Taxes were more expensive than being taxed, then they would just accept the taxes. So the obvious result of a PILOT program this is that *less* money is being divided up amongst *more* parties.

But if the windmills are properly taxed, then the situation changes. Tax funds would go to the town where the turbines are actually put up. If the town is taking in tax revenue from the turbines, then they won’t need so much tax revenue from the people. Simple, isn’t it?

Any turbines built in the Town of Barre should be working *for* the Town of Barre.

Sincerely,

Webster Tilton,

Spokesman, Citizens for a Better Barre