IMPORTANT | THIS IS A NEW PETITION
IF YOU SIGNED ON CHANGE.ORG OR ON OUR SITE BEFORE
THIS IS NEW - SIGN THIS ONE!
RELEASE DATE: MAY 12, 2026 @ 6:45 AM
Your Voice Matters in the Future of Grimes County
PETITION
Require Strong Protections Before Grimes County Grants Tax Breaks or Incentives
to Large Industrial Projects
To the Grimes County Commissioners Court and local decision-makers:
We, the undersigned residents and landowners of Grimes County, Texas, respectfully ask our elected officials to use every legal tool available to protect the people, land, water, roads, emergency services, property values, farms, ranches, wildlife, and rural way of life of
Grimes County before approving tax abatements, Chapter 381 grants, reinvestment zones, development agreements, or other public incentives for large-scale industrial projects.
These projects may include data centers, battery energy storage systems, utility-scale solar farms, semiconductor or advanced manufacturing facilities, substations, transmission infrastructure, power generation facilities, and other high-impact developments.
We understand that Texas counties have limited authority over private land use in unincorporated areas. We also understand that certain information submitted as part of a tax abatement application may be confidential under Texas law.
But when a company asks Grimes County for tax abatements, grants, reinvestment zones, development agreements, or other public benefits, the County has leverage.
We are asking our officials to use that leverage to protect residents. Public benefits should require public protections.
What We Are Asking Our Officials to Require
Before approving any tax abatement, Chapter 381 grant, reinvestment zone, development agreement, or other incentive package for a large-scale industrial project, we ask Grimes County officials to negotiate for strong, written, enforceable terms, including:
1. Independent Legal Counsel Paid Through a Neutral County-Controlled Funding Process
For any major tax abatement, Chapter 381 grant, reinvestment zone, development agreement, or incentive negotiation, Grimes County should retain truly independent outside counsel whose only loyalty is to the County and its residents.
Any outside counsel assisting with incentive negotiations should be selected by the County, engaged directly by the County, and paid for through a neutral County-controlled funding process that does not depend on whether a deal is approved or finalized.
If the developer is required to reimburse legal fees, those funds should be paid into a County-controlled account or reimbursement structure that preserves the attorney’s independence and avoids any appearance that counsel’s payment depends on the developer, the applicant, or the successful completion of an incentive agreement.
Grimes County residents deserve confidence that any attorney advising the County is free to recommend stronger terms, delay approval, reject inadequate protections, or walk away from negotiations if necessary to protect the public interest.
2. Independent Health, Safety, Water, and Infrastructure Review
For projects that may affect residents, roads, water, emergency response, public safety, or the environment, the County should require company-funded but County-selected independent review before incentives are approved.
This may include health and safety risk assessments, water-supply and water-balance studies, traffic and road-impact reviews, emergency response capacity reviews, wastewater impact reviews, and environmental safeguards.
The County should not rely only on developer-selected information when deciding whether public benefits should be granted.
3. Water Use and Groundwater Protection
Any agreement should require the company to disclose projected water demand to the County and appropriate reviewers, including daily, annual, peak-demand, and full-buildout water needs.
Agreements should require closed-loop, recycled, reclaimed, or non-potable water systems wherever feasible, along with groundwater monitoring, surface-water monitoring, drought protections, and safeguards for nearby residents, agriculture, livestock, wildlife, and existing water users.
4. Road-Use and Infrastructure Protection
Developers should be required to pay the full cost of damage to county roads, bridges, culverts, drainage, and other infrastructure caused by construction or operations.
Agreements should include designated haul routes, traffic-control plans, road-condition documentation before and after construction, and full repair or reconstruction at the company’s expense.
5. Emergency Response and Public Safety Funding
Large industrial projects can place new burdens on volunteer fire departments, EMS, law enforcement, emergency management, and hospitals.
Agreements should require dedicated funding for fire protection, EMS, hazmat response, chemical-release planning, emergency equipment, staffing support, evacuation planning, public notification systems, and specialized training.
6. Setbacks, Buffers, and Nuisance Controls
Agreements should include meaningful setbacks and buffers from homes, churches, schools, ranches, farms, waterways, parks, and sensitive environmental areas.
Projects should also be required to meet enforceable standards for noise, vibration, light pollution, odors, dust, screening, traffic, and other nuisance impacts.
7. Wastewater, Chemical, and Pollution Controls
For projects involving wastewater, batteries, chemicals, manufacturing, industrial cooling, or discharge risks, agreements should require strong safeguards for groundwater, surface water, soil, agricultural land, and downstream users.
Where applicable, terms should address wastewater characterization, treatment standards, monitoring, chemical hazard categories, PFAS, heavy metals, solvents, acids, sludge, solid waste, and industrial byproducts.
8. Power Infrastructure Impact Disclosure
Developers should be required to disclose expected power demand and related infrastructure impacts to the County and appropriate reviewers, including substations, transmission needs, backup power systems, generation support, and potential effects on landowners, ratepayers, and surrounding communities.
9. Local Jobs, Wages, and Workforce Development
If companies receive public benefits, agreements should include measurable commitments for local hiring, wage standards, workforce training, apprenticeships, and reporting on both permanent and construction jobs.
Promises should be specific, measurable, and enforceable.
10. Community Benefit and PILOT Contributions
Large projects should provide community benefits proportionate to their impact.
The County should require payments or commitments that directly support affected roads, emergency services, water protection, schools, public health, law enforcement, parks, community facilities, and rural quality of life.
11. Compliance Reporting, Oversight, and Clawbacks
Every incentive agreement should include annual compliance reporting, independent verification, public updates when legally available, and strong clawback provisions.
If a company fails to meet its commitments, violates environmental or safety requirements, underreports impacts, fails to disclose required information, or causes harm, the County should be able to reduce, suspend, terminate, or recover public benefits.
12. Local Public Oversight
For major projects, the County should create a local oversight process that includes citizens, emergency responders, water experts, agricultural representatives, local officials, and qualified technical advisors.
Residents should not be left out once agreements are signed.
What Is at Stake
Grimes County’s own Tax Abatement Guidelines and Criteria recognize that incentives should not be granted where a project may create hazards to public safety, health, or morals, or where a project may seriously affect the citizens of Grimes County.
Other Texas counties have negotiated specific written terms for large industrial projects, including road repair, water protections, setbacks, job commitments, emergency-services funding, PILOT payments, compliance reporting, and clawback provisions.
Grimes County should do no less.
Our Request
We respectfully ask Grimes County officials to adopt and apply strong minimum protection terms for all future large-scale industrial projects before approving tax abatements, Chapter 381 grants, reinvestment zones, development agreements, or other public incentives.
We ask that these protections be negotiated in writing, included in binding agreements, made public when legally available, and enforced for the life of the project.
Grimes County is more than land on a map. It is home to families, farms, ranches, churches, schools, wildlife, small businesses, and generations of residents who care deeply about protecting this community.
Public benefits should require public protections.
Preserve the Land. Protect our Community.
WHO SHOULD SIGN
To ensure the petition accurately reflects our local community, we ask that only Grimes County residents or landowners sign the petition. Please make sure the address you enter has a Grimes Co address and zip code.
