Google: The Dalles grants Google tax breaks for new facilities

The city council of The Dalles has voted to grant Google new property tax breaks. The tax breaks are for Google’s two new data centers. However, before Google commences work on its new data centers, it also hopes to increase its water usage significantly with a new agreement. The city council is expected to vote on this next month. 

Google already has a large data center campus in The Dalles. Its new data centers will be sited in Oregon’s Wasco County. Google has also received three tax breaks from the city in the last 15 years to support development. Yet, its new tax deal with the city council gives it significant concessions. However, The Oregonian says the new agreement is better for local communities than the previous tax arrangements.

If Google decides to continue developing the two data centers, it will make an upfront payment of $3 million for each facility. It will also pay 50% of the standard property taxes for the first facility and 60% for the second data center. With this agreement, Google is paying double what it was paying before.

Furthermore, Google will also give Wasco County 35 acres of property while giving The Dalles and the county an option to buy the land. This is for a situation when Google ceases operation. Although everything is agreed upon, the agreement is only subject to the water deal Google wants from the council. Google wants to pay $28.5 million to expand the water supply of The Dalles. This is to meet its future water usage need.