Tax breaks for a controversial $3 billion data center cleared another hurdle this week after a crowded and contentious meeting that spilled into the hallway and at times devolved as residents shouted over each other and councilmembers.

At the Feb. 16 meeting, Spartanburg County Council approved second reading in a 5-2 vote, with Paul Abbott and Grant DeShields voting against the fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement that would drop property tax rates for the massive proposed facility to the equivalent that a homeowner would pay for their house.

[...] Emily Poole, an attorney with the South Carolina Environmental Law Project, told councilmembers she was concerned that not everyone was allowed to speak during the public hearing portion despite state law to the contrary.

She has called on the county to hold a full public hearing for the FILOT in March, but told The Post and Courier she has not received a response to her request.

“It doesn’t make sense why we’d give them (TigerDC) such a windfall,” she added.

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