JDA Approves Rivian Agreement
Jasper County and other members of the JDA will begin to receive money from the Rivian electric vehicle plant next year.
That is part of the economic development agreement the Joint Development Authority of Jasper, Morgan, Newton and Walton Counties approved Tuesday. The four-county development group is bringing Rivian Inc. to Stanton Springs North, a nearly 2,000-acre site straddling Morgan and Walton counties.
Rivian agreed to make payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOTs, beginning next year. JDA officials said that’s an unusual wrinkle in the development and a boon for the investing communities.
The four counties founded the JDA in the late 1990s. Jasper County has a 10 percent stake in the JDA, which has landed a Meta (formerly Facebook) data center and Takeda biopharmaceuticals plant.
“By signing these agreements and approving this development, we are taking a significant step toward realizing the original vision of the JDA from more than two decades ago: create an industrial park east of Atlanta with high-tech, good paying jobs for years to come,” JDA Chairman Jerry Silvio said in a statement.
Mr. Silvio, of Covington, said Rivian will bring “unprecedented opportunity” to the area and to the state as a whole.
“Opportunity like this not only translates into new jobs for our families, but it also means more resources and growth for our counties, providing the opportunity to reduce the tax burden on local homeowners, improve schools and invest in parks, trails and public safety,” he said.
The deal approved Tuesday means the Rivian site will generate $1.5 million a year for six years, with $150,000 of that coming back to Jasper County.
After six years, the PILOTs increase significantly, to $12 million overall and $1.2 million to Jasper County in 2029.
There is also an escalator clause that means more money through the PILOTs if Rivian exceeds its planned $5 billion investment.
Currently, the land has tax revenues of about $80,000 a year. That means just $8,000 a year for Jasper County’s coffers.
Pat Wilson, Georgia’s commissioner of economic development, hailed the decision by the JDA.
“The positive generational effects will be tremendous for the area, and we look forward to being able to celebrate the full scope of this project in the near future,” Wilson said.
California-based Rivian has said it will employ 7,500 people at the facility, its first in the South. Nearly 8,000 more jobs are expected through indirect employment, according to an economic impact analysis cited by the JDA.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced Rivian in a December news conference outside the state Capitol. Opposition centered around the Rutledge area in Morgan County near the plant site has been vocal, though a poll commissioned by the Georgia Chamber showed support across the four JDA counties for the project.
The JDA shared letters from local government and state business leaders to local planning departments and other governments urging support for Rivian, including state Rep. Susan Holmes, R-Monticello.
The full incentive package is expected to be released next week, pending final state and company approval. The proposed tax abatement, offset by the 25-year PILOT agreement, was expected to go before the Morgan County Tax Assessor Board on Wednesday.
