The creation of a tax increment financing district in Marshall County comes closer and closer to reality even as the war of words shows no signs of ending.
The Marshall County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Friday to accept the TIF review board’s recommendation to create the tax district. The TIF will help finance infrastructure improvements needed to support development group Pointe Vista’s $750 million mixed-use plans for a lake-side resort community at Lake Texoma. Improvements County Commissioner
Royce Bartee said will extend beyond the boundaries of the TIF district.
But the county commissioners unanimous approval of the TIF hasn’t swayed Stephen Willis.
Willis said that he and his group, Friends of Lake Texoma, are working with attorneys to file an injunction to stop the whole process, and to create a petition for referendum to bring the TIF’s creation to a vote of the people.
“We stand with the public interest in serving the democratic process,” he said.
According to Bartee, a public trust will be formed on Aug. 17 to monitor Pointe Vista’s activities in the best interests of Marshall County. But Willis said an injunction and petition for referendum would halt the trust’s formation.
Willis said he had no doubt the commissioners would approve the TIF district.
“We believe they were under pressure from state officials and Pointe Vista to get the construction going and get the money flowing,” he said.
Despite his accusations of various local organizations “spreading propaganda” and “supporting corporate welfare,” Willis said the petition will be as unbiased as possible.
“There’s nothing rhetorical in the referendum itself,” Willis said. “It must be, by law, very objective and factual.”
Bartee has his doubts about the petition, saying the group would need more than 800 signatures to meet the standards for a referendum.
“That, in and of itself, will be very hard to do,” Bartee said.
But Willis said his group will easily gather signatures equal to 10 percent of Marshall County’s registered electorate and then some.
“People are already calling us to find out how to sign the petition,” Willis said.
Phil Banker 221-6542
