Sussex County supervisors said they cut the funding for the county’s fire chief and deputy fire chief because they lacked the money to pay for increased fire and emergency medical service in the rural county.
That, Supervisor Thomas Baicy told Checks & Balances Project (C&BP), included contracting with the Stony Creek Volunteer Rescue Squad (SCVRS) run by Sussex Board Chairman Steve White despite concerns raised by the lack of information about SCVRS’ finances.
But Sussex supervisors are currently reviewing proposals that could drastically increase their annual EMS revenues and pay for the services they lack like a professionalized EMS service, which could reduce response times, county records show.
A proposed data center in Sussex County could be one of largest sources of local government revenue in the county’s history. According to an economic impact study prepared by Mangum Economics for the project:
The proposed data center would generate approximately $81.5 million annually in new Sussex County tax revenue once fully built in 2036, including $80.5 million in direct property taxes.
Total private investment is estimated at $17 billion ($5 billion in buildings and infrastructure plus about $12 billion in servers and other equipment installed by the eventual operator).
The proposed Blackwater solar project would contribute $170 million in local taxes over the 35-year life on the project, developers say. It would provide enough electricity to power 85,000 homes or the proposed data center.
Broken down annually, the solar project alone would contribute approximately $4.9 million to the county budget each year, which would be more than twice the annual amount Sussex County spends on emergency medical services, according to the county’s 2025-26 budget.
County supervisors will meet at 6 p.m., Thursday, July 16 to discuss economic development opportunities and other business.
Ray Locker is the executive director for Checks & Balances Project, an investigative watchdog blog holding government officials, lobbyists, and corporate management accountable to the public. Funding for C&BP is provided by Renew American Prosperity and individual donors.
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