Data centers are a distinctly local issue and where they end up being built impacts everyone in the surrounding community.  I believe that impact can be used to benefit the seniors living in the surrounding communities, by requiring data centers to pay the property taxes of any resident over the age of 65 in the community.

My legislation would require local communities to levy a special assessment against the owner or operator of a data center to pay the property taxes of all residents over the age of 65.  This legislation will represent the floor, and nothing will stop the municipalities from negotiating for additional benefits as part of a local community agreement.
Starting with the year a data center begins operating, municipalities, schools and counties, will be required to calculate the total amount of property taxes collected from residents over the age of 65.  That amount will then be collected from the owner or operator of the data center by the local tax collector and used to pay the property taxes of each eligible resident.
 
Reducing the burden of property taxes on our older residents is an issue that we hear about constantly here in Harrisburg, a special assessment like my legislation proposes to pay our seniors property taxes, is a simple way that a new data center can provide real impact to the communities that they are being built in.

Please join me in sponsoring this legislation.