The Warrenton data center project could result in over $77 million in new annual property tax revenues to local taxing districts, according to Greater Warren County Economic Development Council consultant Steve Etcher.

Etcher presented the proposed tax revenues to the Warrenton Board of Aldermen during their meeting Jan. 20.

According to Etcher, the GWCEDC typically models out the estimated tax and other benefits of any project. He said that while fair market value is typically determined by the Warren County assessor, the GWCEDC has mapped out estimates which are based upon 45 percent of the estimated construction costs of a project. Etcher said the normal rate is between 40 and 60 percent of the costs in the industry.

Based upon those calculations, Etcher said that there will be $77.8 million of additional property tax revenues per year for the respective taxing districts. This figure is over 110 percent more than the county collected in 2025 from all sources, including personal property taxes, which totaled $67 million, Etcher said.

Of the tax revenues, approximately $44.1 million is projected to go to the Warren County R-III School District, $1.8 million to the Warren County road fund, $4.9 million to the Warren County Ambulance District, $10.4 million to the Warrenton Fire Protection District, $4.7 million to the city of Warrenton, $1.6 million to the Warren County Developmental Disabilities Board, $300,000 to the state, $2 million to the Scenic Regional Library, $400,000 to the county and $7.7 million for the state surtax.

Etcher said the city would also be receiving more than $10 million for franchise fees from the project.

In addition, Etcher said that while the project is being built, the county as a whole would receive an estimated $1.3 billion in payroll benefits for direct and indirect jobs and would also ultimately receive a $13 million tax benefit for full-time jobs at the data center once it is operational.

Warren County R-III School District Superintendent Gregg Klinginsmith said seeing over $40 million coming into the school district would transform the school district.

“For a long time it has been that teachers would come here for a year or two then go to the east…” Klinginsmith said. “This would completely flip that script. We would be able to recruit and retain the best people and most talented people in our area.”

In addition to teachers, Klinginsmith said it would allow the district to increase pay for all employees, specifically hourly employees who currently receive minimum wage.

Klinginsmith said he also would recommend rolling back taxes to the state minimum $2.75 per $100 in assessed value if the data center were to come in. This would be a 15 percent reduction in the tax rate for district residents he said. 

He said the funding from the data center would also allow the district to make a variety of infrastructure improvements in the district.

During the Jan. 20 meeting the data center developer, Crusoe, committed to not seeking any abatements of real property taxes or gross receipt tax. They do intend to apply for state sales and use tax incentives.

At some point during the meeting Alderman Christine Wait brought up a discussion of a community betterment agreement between Crusoe and the city, however Mayor Eric Schleuter said that such an agreement was not part of the discussion during the Jan. 20 meeting, which was solely focused on Crusoe’s proposed site plan and a conditional use permit for the project. Schleuter said that any discussion of a potential CBA would be conducted at a future public meeting where all interested taxing districts would be invited to discuss their position on any deal.

Ultimately the site plan and conditional use permit for the proposed data center was approved 6-0. No date has been set yet for discussion of a CBA.

The data center is planned on property north of the Warrenton West interchange.