This week, Item 45a on the Fargo City Commission agenda was a 10 year PILOT requested by Border State Electric (BSE). Of course, you probably don’t know that because the Fargo Forum did not see it fit to report.
In easy terms, BSE is building a new headquarters in Fargo and applied to not pay $1.7 million in property taxes over 10 years. For them, it is smart business.
There is nothing wrong with a private company taking advantage of incentives. We all do it when we can. I do not begrudge Border State, FedEx, or any other company for trying to find ways to save money. This is not a business problem; it is a big government problem.
At the meeting I asked the CEO of BSE a simple question, “If you don’t get the exemption will you leave Fargo?” Her answer was, “Absolutely not”.
If that is her answer, why are we giving away the money?