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In 2015, Nestlé Waters of North America and Madison County entered a lawsuit after Nestlé Waters decided to contest the property value that the Madison County Property Appraiser had placed on the Nestlé property. Nestlé brought in their own professional tax representative and contended that the value of the property should be set at $22.5 million, rather than the price that Madison County had set at $44 million. Should Nestlé's estimate be the final price, the county would lose thousands in tax dollars and there would be a nearly $1 million loss from the county's general fund.
After a long process of mediation between Madison County and Nestle Waters, officials with Nestlé Waters North America and Madison County announced that they had reached a mutually agreeable settlement in their lawsuit regarding real property taxes on the company’s plant in Lee. The agreement, which is valid through 2021, will bring an end to the lawsuit and avoids costly litigation.
“We’re satisfied with the settlement as it provides certainty on our real property valuation for six years,” said Mike Vullo, plant manager at Nestlé Waters Deer Park. “We thank Property Appraiser Leigh Barfield for working through this process in good faith. Nestlé Waters looks forward to continued partnership and mutual success with Madison County.”
The settlement provides certainty in Nestlé Waters’ real property valuation for six years, allowing both the county and the company to accurately plan budgets.
“We are very pleased with the resolution," said Leigh Barfield, Madison County Property Appraiser. "We believe our assessed value in 2014 held up nicely. This resolution allows the county and school district to receive additional sums, while avoiding costly litigation for future years as well. We appreciate the professionalism demonstrated by Nestlé Waters in resolving this matter in good faith."
Since opening its bottling plant in Madison County in 2004, Nestlé Waters has made community stewardship a priority. As part of its community commitment, Nestlé Waters will continue to sponsor local events, create jobs, and encourage its 180 employees to volunteer for local causes.
According to Leigh Barfield, Madison County's Property Appraiser, the agreed-upon amount eventually came to $40 million after back and forth mitigation between both interested parties. “It was a mutual agreement,” said Barfield. “We felt like it was [a] good [choice].”