Supervisors deny tax exemption to GCP Laboratories

GULFPORT — Harrison County supervisors have voted 3-2 to deny a Gulfport business a five-year tax exemption.

Board members who voted against the resolution yesterday said because it is not a new business, the county would lose money by allowing the exemption.

Bill Hessell of the Harrison County Development Commission tells The Sun Herald GCP Laboratories took over a similar business, ANIP, and kept all of the employees.

ANIP had an exemption for personal property, not ad valorem taxes. The ad valorem taxes bring in about $17,500 a year to the county.

Hessell said the new owners have put $1 million into the business.

But, supervisors said because the previous company didn’t have the exemption, the county would lose that revenue.