Commission denies tax-exemption request
By Chris Erickson
The Mercer County Commission decided last week to not grant a tax exemption to Marquis LLC, the company working with a process to help coal burn cleaner at Antelope Valley Station.
Sam Larson, representing Marquis LLC, and Donald Boehm of Basin Electric Power Cooperative were on hand to discuss the topic with the commissioners.
Larson began the conversation by stating Marquis had waived any prior tax exemption of the coal beneficiation from the start of their operation at Antelope Valley Station to the present. Taxes for that period would still be paid, amounting to approximately $67,000.
The company was still looking for the 15 percent tax exemption moving forward. State law currently allows for an 85/15 percent tax exemption for the first five years of coal beneficiation process by a company. The 85 percent is granted automatically by the state, but the 15 percent has to be approved by the county.
Commission Chairman Gary Murray said that he was inintially against taking the 15 percent.
