Meta’s first data-center building in Prineville, Oregon, is scheduled to reach the end of its original 15-year property-tax exemption in 2027. Crook County Tax Assessor Jon Soliz forecasts Meta’s property-tax bill at $4 million when the exemption ends, compared with a reported $178,000 payment in the previous year. Marketplace reported the figures on October 21, 2026. The difference between them is $3.822 million.
Meta told Marketplace it expected Prineville and Crook County to begin receiving millions in tax revenue in the next fiscal year. The company also said it was not seeking extensions.
What Oregon’s 2026 law changes
Oregon HB 4084 took effect on June 5, 2026. It bars new standard Enterprise Zone authorizations for data-center projects until 90 days after the 2027 regular legislative session adjourns. The law separately prohibits extending the standard exemption period for qualified property used to operate a data center. The enacted law and the Oregon Business Development Department’s temporary order address these separate rules.
The moratorium does not cancel qualifying approvals made before June 5, 2026, by both the local zone sponsor and county assessor. That exception covers existing approvals; the separate restriction on extensions still applies.
| Rule | What it covers | Effect on existing Prineville approvals |
| New-authorization moratorium | New standard Enterprise Zone authorizations for data-center projects, from June 5, 2026, until 90 days after the 2027 session adjourns | Excludes approvals made by both the zone sponsor and county assessor before June 5, 2026 |
| Extension prohibition | Extensions of the standard exemption period for qualified data-center property | HB 4084 bars extensions for that property |
Under the standard Enterprise Zone exemption, each building can receive a 15-year tax break if it meets annual employment, wage and investment thresholds. The exemption covers qualifying improvements and equipment, including servers, but not land, according to Soliz.
The 2027 date applies to one Meta building
The 2027 expiration concerns Meta’s first Prineville building, not every building on its campus. Marketplace reported that Meta has 11 buildings with staggered exemption dates through 2035. It also reported four Apple buildings with staggered dates through that year.
The local stakes include jobs and competing concerns
In its October 21, 2026, report, Marketplace quoted Prineville economic-development director Caroline Ervin estimating about 450 permanent jobs, including direct workers and operational contractors, and about 2,000 temporary construction jobs across data-center expansions. Oregon Employment Department regional economist Nicole Ramos said data centers represented a relatively small share of local employment, while the information industry accounted for 48.3% of Crook County’s real GDP.
Local views also reflect concerns about the facilities’ footprint. Julie Thompson, a Crook County commissioner candidate, cited land, water and nighttime lighting, while saying her daughter’s Apple job helped her stay in the area and buy a house.
