Data Center Record.
IA Waukee City Council August 25, 2022

Apple data center property tax valuation error costs Waukee schools $2.3M, city $3M

Waukee City Council and Dallas County Assessor public record on the Apple data center property tax abatement valuation error that reduced Waukee school and municipal revenue by $5.3 million (August 25, 2022).

Jurisdiction Waukee, IA
Governing Body Waukee City Council
Meeting Date August 25, 2022
Extracted Clips 3 clips · 2 opposed · 1 supporting
Tax Abatements Water Power & Grid Zoning
Source YouTube recording ↗
Archived meeting broadcast · KCCI Ready at Clip 1 (0:36 to 1:15) · Waukee City Council Hearing Speaker
Open source video on YouTube ↗

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Apple data center property tax valuation error costs Waukee schools $2.3M, city $3M

Waukee City Council · August 25, 2022

Timestamped Speaker & Testimony Ledger

3 verified timestamped clips extracted chronologically from the closed caption record. Select any clip to play that exact window in the master player or copy a canonical clip link.

  1. Clip 1 · 0:36 Waukee City Council Hearing Speaker Developer Representative In support transcribed from the official recording
    Tax Abatements Water Power & Grid Zoning

    Substantive testimony and deliberation before Waukee City Council regarding data center tax abatements, water use, and zoning.

    "IT WAS CONCERNING, RIGHT? PROBABLY OTHER WORDS THAT ARE MORE STARTLING IN MY MIND. WAUKEE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT DOCTOR BRAD BUCK SAYS HE CAN’T SAY SOME OF THOSE WORDS ON TV, BUT THEY DID CROSS HIS MIND WHEN HE FOUND OUT HIS BUDGET WILL LOSE MORE THAN $2 MILLION THIS YEAR. THIS IS JUST A CRAZY, UNUSUAL THING THAT THE TOTAL VALUATION OF YOUR DISTRICT WOULD CHANGE MIDSTREAM. BUCK SAYS HE FIRST HEARD THE BAD NEWS A FEW WEEKS AGO. HE SAYS ORIGINALLY, DALLAS COUNTY VALUED THE NEW APPLE DATA CENTER ON THE WEST EDGE OF WAUKEE AT $192 MILLION FOR TAX PURPOSES, BUT SCHOOL LEADERS SAY THEY RECENTLY FOUND OUT THE"

    YouTube at 0:36 ↗
  2. Clip 2 · 1:14 Waukee City Council Hearing Speaker Elected Official Questioning transcribed from the official recording
    Tax Abatements Water Power & Grid Zoning

    Substantive testimony and deliberation before Waukee City Council regarding data center tax abatements, water use, and zoning.

    "VALUATION IS MORE LIKE $60 MILLION. THAT MEANS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL LOSE $2.3 MILLION FROM THE BUDGET, SINCE THAT MONEY IS ALREADY IN THE BUDGET, BUCK SAYS THEY WILL HAVE TO CUT SOME FUTURE PROGRAMS. HE SAYS CURRENT STAFF AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS WILL NOT BE AFFECTED. IT’S GOING TO COME THIS MOMENT WHERE WE’RE GOING TO BE SITUATED TO DO A LITTLE DREAMING AND REALLY EXPAND SOME OPPORTUNITIES, EXPERIENCES FOR KIDS. AND NOW THAT’S AT LEAST ON HOLD FOR ANOTHER YEAR. WE’RE ALSO LEARNING THE CITY OF WAUKEE WILL LOSE MORE THAN $3 MILLION FROM ITS BUDGET AFTER THE APPLE DATA CENTER VALUE CHANGE."

    YouTube at 1:14 ↗
  3. Clip 3 · 1:53 Resident public comment Resident Public Comment transcribed from the official recording

    Substantive testimony and deliberation before Waukee City Council regarding data center tax abatements, water use, and zoning.

    "THE CITY HAS A RESERVE FUND TO COVER SOME OF THOSE LOSSES. IT ALL PROBABLY AFFECTS SOME PROJECTS IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS TIMELINE. SO LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE ROADS, EXACTLY WHAT. YET WE HAVE TO DETERMINE. NOW, BUCK SAYS HE PLANS TO ASK STATE LAWMAKERS TO GET SOME OF THAT LOST FUNDING BACK. HE SAYS THE DISTRICT IS ALSO DISCUSSING ITS LEGAL OPTIONS IN THIS CASE. BY THE WAY, WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO DALLAS COUNTY. WE’RE WAITI"

    YouTube at 1:53 ↗

Using this data in a report? Support the record.

Said and filed

Said and filed

Statements and filings, side by side

Statement and primary filing Waukee and Council Bluffs, IA Hearing Record → Project Dossier: google-council-bluffs-data-center-ia → Project Dossier: apple-waukee-data-center-ia →
tax_incentives Water
Column A · Dated Statement
Iowa Economic Development Authority and Municipal Sponsors State and Municipal Economic Development Officials
Venue: Waukee and Council Bluffs Data Center Tax Incentive and Expansion Hearings
"Approving multi decade property tax abatements and state tax rebates for hyperscale data centers in Waukee, Altoona, and Council Bluffs guarantees transformative public infrastructure funding and long term school district tax growth."
KCCI Des Moines
Source video ↗ Wayback archive ↗
Column B · Primary Government Record
Dallas County Assessor Tax Abatement Valuation Audit ($5.3M School and City Shortfall) and Council Bluffs Water Works Records
Dallas County Assessment Roll Correction (Apple Waukee Abatement) · Council Bluffs Water Works Filings
Agency or Venue: Dallas County Assessor, Waukee Community School District, and Council Bluffs Water Works
"Dallas County property tax abatement records revealed a valuation error on the abated Apple data center parcel that cost the Waukee Community School District $2.3 million and the City of Waukee $3 million in budgeted funds, while Council Bluffs municipal water records showed Google campuses consuming over 900 million gallons annually."
Primary Record / Docket Source ↗ Corroborating Record / Archive ↗

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