With certification from the Mississippi Department of Revenue, the Pearl River County Board of Supervisors finalized an ad valorem tax exemption for Shale Support Services, located in the Picayune Industrial Park, for the fiscal years of 2016 and 2017.
The request was submitted to the Board in January, three years after the company opened its global headquarters in Picayune.
However, the company requested a 10-year exemption, dating back to 2015 when the facility opened, previous coverage states.
During the January 18, Board meeting, supervisors approved an exemption for the fiscal years of 2015-2017, pending certification from the MDR.
Board President Sandy Kane Smith voted against the exemption, according to previous coverage. District II Supervisor Malcolm Perry said at the time that he would consider extending the exemption next year. Other Board members said the move would promote business in the area, previous coverage states.
During Wednesday’s Board meeting, County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin said the DOR could not certify retroactive exemptions, therefore the Board could not grant the 2015 request.
After discussing the matter in executive session, the Board voted to grant the exemption for 2016 and 2017, except for Smith who maintained his stance against the issue, Lumpkin said.
Mississippi law states that a company may request an exemption of up to 10 years on new or expanded facilities before June 1 of the year following the year the additions were completed.
Lumpkin said the DOR didn’t certify the 2015 exemption because a recent Mississippi Attorney General opinion states the county doesn’t have the authority to retroactively grant a tax exemption.
Although the exact amount of the exemption is still unavailable, Pearl River County Tax Assessor Gary Beech previously said the company has paid “hundreds of thousands” in property taxes to the county.