Chesterfield County Puts Data Center Revenue Vote on Hold

Chesterfield County's Board of Supervisors has deferred a vote to allocate data center revenue towards lowering the county's car tax rate, citing the need for more time to discuss.

The decision was made after county staff presented an update on three Google data center campuses planned in the area. The campuses are projected to have a total real estate value of $2.7 billion, exceeding the assessed real estate value of the top 10 principal taxpayers in the county combined.

County officials estimate that the Google projects could generate revenue at a rate of roughly $8 million per campus from real estate alone and over $10 million when including equipment costs. The buildout is expected to shift the tax base from 79% residential to 76% residential and 24% commercial, an estimated 18% increase in the existing commercial tax base.

County officials said the data centers could help rebalance the tax burden between residential and commercial property owners. 'They really do hold a tremendous potential in terms of revenue generation to find that balance between residential and commercial taxpayers,' said Matt Harris, deputy county administrator.