URGENT: Monday’s Council Vote Could Lock Greene County into a 10-Year Corporate Tax Giveaway

A global solar giant wants a 100% tax break. Here is why you need to be at the Courthouse at 4 PM.

This Monday, December 15, the Greene County Council will face a decision that affects every taxpayer in our community for the next decade, and likely long after.

At 4:00 PM at the Greene County Courthouse, council members will discuss a proposal from "Worthington Solar, LLC." On paper, it looks like a routine request from a local business. But as our recent investigation revealed, this is anything but routine.

We are looking at a multinational corporation asking one of Indiana’s smaller counties to sign away ten years of tax revenue.

Here is the summary of what is at stake and why your presence Monday afternoon matters.

1. It Is Not Just "Worthington Solar"

The entity asking for this favor is not a local startup. "Worthington Solar, LLC" is a single-purpose shell company. It is a legal container created to shield the actual owners, massive entities like National Grid Renewables and Brookfield Asset Management from liability.

These are global investment titans. They manage billions of dollars in assets. Yet, they are asking Greene County residents to subsidize their business model.

2. The "100% Abatement" Deal

The proposal on the table is a 10-year, 100% tax abatement. While local farmers, shop owners, and homeowners pay their full share to fund our schools, sheriff’s department, and roads, this project would pay zero personal property tax on the improvement value for a decade.

They have offered a "15% minimum payment" on personal property, but don’t let the math fool you. Solar equipment depreciates rapidly. A percentage of a quickly shrinking value is a pittance compared to what they should be paying.

3. The "Flip" Risk

History shows us exactly how this works. Corporations build these projects, lock in the tax breaks, and then sell the LLC to another investor or utility.

The Risk: If the project causes drainage issues, damages the floodplain, or goes bankrupt, who do we hold accountable?
The original developers will likely be gone, cash in hand.
The county will be left dealing with a shell company that has no other assets.

4. No Leverage Left

Once the county designates this land an "Economic Revitalization Area" and approves the abatement, we lose our leverage. Monday is the moment to pause the process.

What You Can Do

The most powerful tool in local government is a room full of concerned citizens. The Council needs to know that voters are paying attention.

The Meeting Details:

When: Monday, December 15
Time: 4:00 PM
Where: Greene County Courthouse

Questions to Ask the Council: If you speak, or even if you just attend to listen, these are the questions that demand answers:

Why a 100% break? Why should a global corporation pay 0% for 10 years when local businesses pay full taxes?
Where is the guarantee? If the LLC is sold (which is standard industry practice), what legal document binds the new owners to protect our roads and drainage?
What about the floodplains? With construction planned near sensitive water flow areas, who pays if neighboring farms are flooded by runoff changes?
Why the rush? Why approve this before a full, independent economic review is completed?

This isn't about being anti-solar. It is about being pro-fairness.

Greene County deserves transparent deals, fair taxation, and honest partners. If we sign this deal on Monday, we may not get any of those.

See you at the Courthouse.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Linton News provides this analysis in the public interest. We do not allege illegal conduct by the developers, but we believe citizens have a right to understand the complex corporate structures and long-term financial implications of tax abatements before they are signed into law.