Shelby County Commissioner Henri E. Brooks will lead a press conference today at 10 a.m. in the lobby of the Vasco A. Smith Jr. County Administration Building to discuss the effectiveness and transparency of the county’s PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) programs. The event will take place before a work session with PILOT-granting entities.
As per the News from the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, the ad hoc committee will examine whether these tax incentive programs meet legal objectives, provide adequate returns on investment, and if developers are fulfilling their commitments. Commissioner Brooks stated, "We are on a mission to evaluate tax incentive programs to ensure every PILOT-granting agency is subject to legislative review and reform. Our objectives: Create, Manage, Monitor, and Measure will help us determine whether these programs are meeting their stated goals."
A four-month moratorium on PILOTs involving housing has also been proposed. The pause aims to allow collaboration between the committee and granting agencies to form what Brooks calls a Coalition of the Willing.
