SCAD tax litigation enters discussion phase

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County chief appraiser Clayton Snyder said this week that some progress is being made in a lawsuit involving a wind farm that has almost $430,000 in outstanding tax assessments that are “owed” to several of the local taxing jurisdictions.

The wind farm corporation had protested the taxes assessed by the Shackelford County Appraisal District (SCAD). The company then sued the district after the district’s Appraisal Review Board ruled against their protest.

Several months ago, “the parties entered into an agreed protective order allowing informal exchange of confidential information, and the plaintiff requested other methods of settlement besides trial,” Snyder said.

On March 20, an agent for the plaintiff contacted the SCAD and “requested a conference to seek a resolution outside of the attorneys and legal proceedings,” according to Snyder.

An informal discussion between the two parties has been set for Friday, March 31.

“Most of the current information is confidential at this point,” said Snyder, who added that SCAD board members met last Friday, with new information about the litigation discussed in closed session.

Tax collections for the 2022 assessments stand at about 82 percent, compared with over 90 percent for most years.

In addition to the wind farm litigation, several AEP divisions have not been paid, amounting to $678,789 and affecting all local taxing jurisdictions.

“The attorney will begin trying to contact them (AEP) around the first of April,” Snyder said.