Incumbent Jamie DeLoach points to planning, economic development and tax relief as ways to manage Effingham County’s growth. Challenger Scott Hoffman opposes the proposed Project Camellia data center and calls for greater transparency, stronger safeguards and more public input on development decisions. The Effingham Herald asked both candidates the same three questions about the data center, property tax relief and county growth. Their biographies and responses follow. Effingham County’s proposed Project Camellia data center for OpenAI has generated questions about the project’s impact on nearby residents, water resources, electricity demand, noise and the environment. What conditions, safeguards or enforceable commitments do you believe should be in place to protect residents, and what role should the County Commission play in ensuring those protections are met? Effingham County has launched Project Zero, with the goal of eliminating county property taxes on qualifying homesteads, and commissioners recently backed a proposal to increase the senior school tax exemption from $20,000 to $100,000. Do you support these approaches to tax relief? How would you ensure the county can sustain meaningful tax relief over the long term while continuing to fund public safety, roads and other essential services? As Effingham County attracts major industrial investments and continues to grow, how would you determine which development projects are appropriate for the county? What changes…
*This content (including text, artwork, graphics, photography, and video) was provided by the third party(ies) as referenced above. Any rights or other content questions or inquiries should be directed to such third-party provider(s).
