Brief summary:
The JWs, backed by county commissioners, contend they have a legal right to build an assembly hall in the JEDD. The city contends they don’t because the JEDD’s purpose is to house industry and commercial enterprises that produce income tax and property tax revenue.
The hall is exempt from property tax because it is a church. And there would be no income tax to speak of because a lone groundskeeper, and perhaps his family, would live on the property.
All chips in
But they did it. The JWs played the religious discrimination card.
General allegation No. 25 reads: Upon information and belief, the respondents have colluded to block the development of the Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall because of religious discrimination.
In all the arguments before various county boards, during council meetings, economic development meetings, and JEDD meetings, city officials demonstrably stated the objection to a house of prayer in the JEDD is based totally on economic reasoning and has nothing to do with the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ faith.
If Mayor Joel McGuire said it once, he said it 50 times, that religious beliefs have nothing - absolutely nothing - to do with the objection.
Sounds like the reporter knows what's going on:
The JWs have a track record of buying and eventually selling prime property for profit. Nothing wrong with that, but building a worship center in an industrial park is obnoxious.
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...OUTLAW