ExxonMobil withdraws ITEP requests, future Baton Rouge expansion in question

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ExxonMobil is withdrawing its pending 2017 Industrial Tax Exemption requests, which were recently rejected by the East Baton Rouge School Board and were scheduled to be voted on by the Metro Council Wednesday evening.

The company cites the “ongoing local uncertainty” surrounding the ITEP program in Baton Rouge as the reason for its withdrawal, according to an Exxon news release this afternoon.

“Due to the uncertainty, we will have to assume there is no ITEP incentive as we make cost projections on future investment opportunities in Louisiana,” states the release, penned by several local Exxon officials: Polyolefins Plant Manager Stephen Hamilton, Chemical Plant Manager Dave Luecke, Refinery Manager Gloria Moncada and Plastics Plant Manager Angela Zeringue.

ExxonMobil was seeking two property tax breaks worth approximately $2.9 million over 10 years—one for work at its Baton Rouge refinery and the other for its polyolefins plant. Work for both was completed in 2017.

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Two Republican state lawmakers plan to file legislation that would return sole authority of the Industrial Tax Exemption Program back to the state, essentially restoring the process in place before Gov. John Bel Edwards’ 2016 executive order gave local governments a say in granting the property tax exemptions.

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