Mason County Schools levy vote tied to $90 million data center tax revenue

A renewal vote for the Mason County Schools excess levy in the upcoming November 3 General Election carries significant financial implications due to state laws governing data centers. State Treasurer Larry Pack reported that a successful levy could provide the school board with approximately $90 million in annual property tax revenue stemming from the planned Monarch Compute Campus being developed by Nscale.

Under a provision in state law (HB 2014), county school systems with excess levies are permitted to retain the increased tax revenue generated by data center projects. Conversely, if the levy fails, the school board would lose this projected revenue, and the data center would see a $90 million reduction in its tax bill. Pack noted that lawmakers are expected to revisit the tax revenue allocation language in the coming year to address these unintended consequences.