None of this would be possible without the local officials who said yes, usually quickly, usually at meetings most of you never heard about. Please enjoy these certificates of appreciation.
Certificate of Appreciation
Abilene City Council
For laying the groundwork for an 85% property tax abatement, unanimously, at a February 2025 special meeting where two members of the public spoke.
Presented under Mayor Weldon Hurt
The record
The council voted unanimously in February 2025. Only two members of the public spoke, and only one, Samuel Garcia, opposed the project. No council member asked for a public study of what the project would do to housing, water or air before the vote. When KUT asked Mayor Hurt for comment in August 2026, he did not respond.
Texas Monthly; Abilene City Council records; KUT, August 2026
Certificate of Appreciation
Taylor County Commissioners Court
For approving the county's share of the abatement, so the discount would be complete.
With gratitude from a $3.5 billion campus
The record
The City of Abilene and Taylor County together approved an 85% property tax abatement on the Stargate site for 10 years. The same project strains county roads, water infrastructure and emergency services while paying a fraction of the local taxes it would otherwise owe.
Texas Standard; Business Insider
Certificate of Appreciation
Development Corporation of Abilene
For a $4 billion economic impact estimate with a methodology so private that not even journalists could see it.
"New tax revenue funds new roads." DCOA CEO Misty Mayo
The record
The DCOA has cited a $4 billion impact over two decades and has not explained how it got that number. The Perryman Group's February 2025 study of the project was built on construction and operations data the DCOA supplied. Meanwhile families are showing up at homeless encampments for the first time.
Texas Standard, January 2026; The Perryman Group; KUT, August 2026; TIME, February 2026
Certificate of Appreciation
Abilene City Council, again
For approving 28 new pole mounted cameras that livestream and read license plates, and for declining to reconsider after 40 minutes of residents asking them to.
With gratitude from everyone who is watching
The record
On September 24, 2026, the council approved an $8.7 million, five year Axon package: body cameras, car cameras, interview room cameras, Tasers, evidence storage and 28 fixed cameras with livestreaming, license plate recognition and vehicle recognition. Council member Shane Price moved to approve everything except the pole cameras. Nobody seconded. On October 8, after more than 40 minutes of public comment against the cameras, the council voted 4 to 3 not to reconsider. "We have no policy and procedure for any of this stuff," one resident told them. The city also runs 13 Flock license plate cameras on the main roads into town.
KTAB, September 25, 2026; KTXS, October 9, 2026; City of Abilene, October 2026 and July 2026
Make them answer for it.
Restored by residents. LUDI could not delete this part.
Every one of these officials has public contact information, a social media presence, and constituents they need votes from. Show up to every public meeting. Comment on what they post. File open records requests for every communication between city officials and Oracle, Crusoe, Lancium, OpenAI and SoftBank. Ask in public why the economic impact methodology was never released, and what the privacy policy is for the new cameras. Abilene is a small town. These people live here too.