February has been a busy month for the Commissioners Court and County Judge John Gothia. This week is another eventful one for the Commissioners and Gothia as he said Monday on KOGT’s People in the Know.
The much anticipated tax abatement agreement with Chevron Phillips Chemical is expected to be voted on by the Commissioners Court on Tuesday, February 18. If approved the abatement agreement would clear the way for Chevron Phillips to build a new $5.6 billion ethylene plant off Chemical Row in Orange County.
Gothia added this will have a huge impact for the community. “I think everybody’s anxious to get our side of it done so they can move forward with their decision making part, Gothia said.
The impact will include increased tax revenues for school districts where the plant will be located which is primarily the West Orange-Cove School District. The plant will also bring in more people to be employed at the plant which will spread the growth to other sections of the county according to Gothia.
Early voting for the Republican Primary in March started Tuesday, February 18. Gothia will be seeking another term on the Commissioners Court as the County Judge. “It was the Court’s choice that appointed me there, but now it will be the people’s choice to keep me there,” Gothia related.
Last week Judge Gothia and Commissioner Johnny Trahan attended mandatory schooling required to be on the Commissioners Court. Gothia informed, “You get to talk to a lot of folks who are sitting in the same seat as you do, and there’s a ton of experience to learn from county judges that have been in their seats for 25 to 30 years, and there’s a lot like me who have been there a short time.”
February started with the contractor for the United States Corps of Engineers announcing the planned construction of a levee for the Texas Gulf Coast. The planned storm surge protection is predicted by the Corps to be completed by the year 2026.
Gothia admitted the announcement by the contractor was somewhat of a surprise, and he wished they had sought the input from county officials before breaking the news. “What we have requested is for the Corps to come here and the other counties at some point to hold public meetings with the communities where the levee will be built,” Gothia stated.
No date has been set for such a public hearing in Orange County. The Commissioners Court will attend a Coastal Texas Study Meeting on Thursday, February 20. That meeting will be held in Galveston at the Rosenberg Library.
People in the Know with the county judge is aired weekly on Monday mornings at 7:00 AM on KOGT.
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