Waller County is reducing a property tax break for Igloo Products by 35%. County commissioners approved the change Oct. 28. The cut follows a change in when the company reported its inventory, which affects how much tax it pays. County officials said Igloo had done nothing wrong.
In 2023, the county approved a tax agreement with Igloo and the owner of a large industrial building near Woods Road in Brookshire. The deal offered a temporary reduction in certain property taxes to encourage business investment, and it included inventory requirements. The original agreement was based on January inventory figures. Igloo instead reported its inventory in September, which is allowed under the rules. The September figures showed about 35% less taxable inventory than the agreement anticipated.
Vince Yokom, executive director of the Waller County Economic Development Partnership, said the county reduced the tax break by the same percentage. He called the situation a legitimate miscommunication. Yokom said the county made an exception because Igloo was upfront about it, and he said Igloo accepted the smaller break.