How Could Community Groups Benefit From Major Development?
Before You Keep Reading: This Isn't About Taking a Side
Cass County Facts is not advocating for or against major development in Cass County. We're sharing information about Community Benefit Agreements because, if these types of agreements are being considered or negotiated, community members should understand what they are, how their groups can benefit, and know that they can have a voice in the conversation.
What would you want to see your community benefit from? Talk to your county commissioners. Attend public meetings. Participate in public comment. Connect with local nonprofits, schools, fire and EMS departments, agricultural organizations and other community groups.
Development decisions involve more than the developer and the county. They can affect the broader community, too — and residents have a role in communicating what matters to them.
Understanding how community benefit agreements can create support for schools, nonprofits, infrastructure, local organizations and other community priorities.
What is a Community Benefit's Agreement? And how can communities can turn a large-scale development into measurable, lasting local benefits? Take a look at what a CBA is and some real world examples of how communities across the countries are making a big impact in their community.
When a large industrial project is proposed in a community, the conversation often focuses on two sides:
What does the community gain? and What does the community have to provide?
There is another tool that communities can use to bring those two questions together:
A Community Benefits Agreement.
A Community Benefits Agreement, commonly called a CBA, is a written agreement between a developer or company and a community that establishes specific commitments the project will make to the people and places affected by it.
Instead of relying only on general promises about economic development, a CBA can put specific benefits in writing, including how much will be provided, where the money or resources will go, when commitments must be fulfilled, and how compliance will be tracked.
CBAs can be designed around the needs of each individual community. That means a CBA in Cass County would not necessarily look like one in Iowa, Pennsylvania or Maryland. The community gets to identify what matters most locally.
Why would a community need one?
Large industrial projects can bring significant economic activity. They can create construction jobs, increase the tax base, support local businesses and require new infrastructure.
But they can also create costs or demands for a community.
For example, a large industrial development could require:
New roads or road improvements
Additional fire and emergency response capabilities
New electrical infrastructure
Water infrastructure
Workforce training
Housing for workers
Increased demand on local services
Environmental monitoring
Long-term decommissioning planning
Additional public infrastructure
A CBA can be one way to make sure that the community's needs are considered alongside the developer's needs.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority describes CBAs as legally binding contracts that can address the local impacts of large infrastructure projects and provide both financial and non-financial benefits.
The University of Nevada Extension similarly describes CBAs as agreements that can include financial commitments as well as infrastructure, workforce development, education, housing and emergency-response benefits.
A CBA is different from taxes
This is an important distinction. If an industrial facility is built in a community, it may generate property taxes, sales taxes or other public revenue depending on the project and applicable laws. Those taxes are separate from a community benefits agreement.
Think of it this way:
Tax revenue
Money the project owes under existing tax laws and that is distributed according to those laws.
Community benefits agreement
Additional, negotiated commitments between the project and the community.
A CBA could require a company to contribute money to a community fund, pay for specific infrastructure, provide workforce training, support local schools, fund emergency services or make specific environmental commitments.
The two can exist at the same time.
What could be included in a community benefits agreement?
There is no single template. A community can negotiate benefits based on what it believes it needs. Some potential categories include:
Schools and education
A project could contribute funding for:
School facilities
STEM programs
Career and technical education
Scholarships
Equipment
Teacher support
Workforce training
For a community with a large industrial investment, education funding could be structured to help prepare local students for the types of jobs created by the project.
Roads and infrastructure
A company could contribute to:
Road improvements
Bridge improvements
Intersection upgrades
Traffic infrastructure
Water systems
Sewer systems
Broadband
Utility infrastructure
This can be particularly important when a development creates infrastructure needs that would otherwise fall primarily on local taxpayers.
Fire and emergency services
Large industrial facilities can require specialized emergency planning.
A CBA could include funding for:
Fire trucks
Specialized equipment
Training
EMS equipment
Emergency response planning
Additional personnel
Hazard-response capabilities
One recent example in Frederick County, Maryland includes $1 million for a local fire department engine and training programs as part of a larger data center community benefits agreement.
Local jobs and workforce development
A community could negotiate commitments around:
Local hiring
Apprenticeships
Internships
Skilled-trade training
Community college partnerships
Veterans' hiring
Workforce development centers
This is especially relevant because large industrial projects can have very large construction workforces but comparatively smaller permanent operating workforces.
A CBA can help ensure that local residents have opportunities to benefit from both phases.
Agriculture and conservation
For a rural community, benefits don't necessarily have to focus exclusively on traditional economic development.
A CBA could potentially include:
Agricultural preservation
Conservation easements
Land restoration
Tree planting
Wildlife habitat
Parks
Trail systems
Soil or water monitoring
In Frederick County, Maryland's 2026 agreement with the Frederick Digital Campus includes $10.5 million for agricultural preservation easements covering 1,312 acres and a permanent conservation component covering hundreds of acres.
For a county like Cass County, where agriculture is a major part of the community's identity and economy, this is an example of how a community benefits package could be tailored to local priorities.
Real Example: Frederick County, Maryland
A particularly large example was announced in September 2026 in Frederick County, Maryland.
The Frederick Digital Campus developer announced a $110 million community benefits agreement with the county.
The agreement includes:
$30 million for renovations to Carroll Manor Elementary School
$30 million for an Adamstown Regional Park and recreation improvements
$14.5 million for workforce development
$10 million for youth recreation facilities
$10 million for trails and perimeter improvements
$10.5 million for agricultural preservation easements
$5 million for a community solar project
$1 million for a local fire department engine and training
The agreement also includes conservation land, reduced development density and an 80% reduction in potable water consumption once a reclaimed-water system is completed.
This illustrates an important point:
A community benefits agreement doesn't have to be only about money.
It can also include changes to the project itself.
Real Example: Kearney, Nebraska
This concept is not just something happening in other states. In September 2026, the City of Kearney approved a community benefit agreement associated with its Horizon data center project.
According to the published meeting information, the agreement includes several different types of benefits and commitments.
Among them:
$250,000 per year for five years directed toward Central Community College's mechatronics program, Kearney Public Schools STEM initiatives and a Hot Meals USA capital project.
A local and veteran hiring preference.
Water stewardship commitments.
Quarterly and annual reporting.
Approximately 59 permanent jobs associated with the project.
An estimated $20 million per year in property taxes at full buildout.
An estimated $14 million per year in electric lease payments at full buildout.
The agreement was approved unanimously by the Kearney City Council.
Notice that the benefits aren't limited to one giant check.
The agreement combines:
education + workforce development + local hiring + water stewardship + reporting + tax revenue + other financial benefits.
That's an important part of understanding what a community benefits agreement can be.
Real Example: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids negotiated what it called a “community betterment” agreement with Google and QTS related to data center development. (LINK)
According to research published by Brookings, the agreement included employment requirements tied to a tax exemption.
The project was eligible for a 20-year, 70% tax exemption if it met a threshold of at least 31 full-time positions paying at least $26.20 per hour.
The agreement also included direct community payments:
Google agreed to pay the city $400,000 annually for 15 years.
QTS agreed to provide $18 million over 18 years.
This example demonstrates another possible approach: connecting certain economic incentives or benefits to measurable project commitments.
Real Example: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster provides another example of how a community can negotiate around specific concerns.
A proposed data center project led local officials to negotiate an agreement addressing issues including:
Water use
Energy
Noise
Community funding
Local workforce development
The agreement reported by the Sabin Center includes $10 million for the Lancaster County Community Foundation and $10 million for the City's Sustainable Development and Clean Energy Fund, along with local job-training and hiring provisions.
The World Resources Institute reports that the agreement also includes a 20,000-gallon-per-day water-use restriction, clean-energy requirements and noise restrictions.
The takeaway isn't that Cass County should copy Lancaster.
It's that a community can identify its own concerns and negotiate specific commitments around them.
What could this look like in a community like Cass County?
Imagine, purely as an example, that a large industrial partner were proposed for Cass County. The community could identify its priorities before negotiations begin.
Perhaps residents say:
We need better roads.
A negotiated agreement could establish a specific contribution toward road improvements.
Perhaps the county says:
Our volunteer fire departments need additional equipment and training.
A CBA could establish dedicated funding for those needs.
Perhaps residents say:
We want our schools to benefit from this development.
The agreement could provide funding for STEM education, career training or school infrastructure.
Perhaps the community says:
We want to preserve agricultural land.
The agreement could establish funding for conservation or agricultural preservation.
Perhaps there are concerns about water.
The agreement could establish monitoring, reporting requirements, water-use commitments or funding for water infrastructure, depending on the project.
Perhaps there are concerns about the long-term future of the facility.
The agreement could address decommissioning, financial guarantees or responsibilities for infrastructure at the end of the project's life.
The important part is that these commitments can be specific.
Instead of:
"The company will be a good community partner."
A CBA can say:
"$X will be contributed to Y."
"X number of local apprenticeships will be created."
"The company will fund X piece of infrastructure."
"Water use will not exceed X amount."
"Annual reporting will be provided to the county."
Specific commitments are easier for the public to understand and easier for governments to monitor.
Could a CBA address concerns about water?
Potentially, yes. Water can be one of the most important issues for communities considering large industrial development.
A negotiated agreement could potentially establish things such as:
Maximum water use
Water monitoring
Public reporting
Water conservation requirements
Funding for water infrastructure
Alternative water sources
Reuse or recycling requirements
Drought-response plans
The exact provisions would depend on the project, the company's needs, the community's authority and the negotiated agreement.
Lancaster's agreement provides one example of a specific water-use limit, while Frederick County's agreement provides an example of reducing potable water consumption through reclaimed water.
Could a CBA address property taxes?
This is where it gets more complicated. A CBA does not automatically allow a county or city to change tax law. Property taxes are governed by state and local laws, and multiple taxing entities can be involved. But a community benefits agreement can potentially establish additional payments or investments that are separate from ordinary property taxes.
A community could also negotiate conditions around incentives or tax abatements when applicable.
That is why it is important to understand the entire financial picture:
How much tax revenue will the project generate?
Are there tax incentives?
Which taxing entities receive the revenue?
What infrastructure will the project require?
What additional commitments will the developer make?
Who pays for those commitments?
A CBA can help put some of those answers in writing.
Nebraska has now specifically addressed community benefit agreements for data centers
There is also an important development at the state level.
Nebraska law now requires the owner or operator of a data center to:
Enter into a community benefit agreement with communities affected by the data center.
The statute also requires annual reporting on items including the data center's size, location, electricity demand, water use, incentives and renewable-energy commitments. It separately requires the owner/operator to bear decommissioning costs. That means community benefits agreements are now specifically part of Nebraska's statutory framework for data centers.
But an important distinction:
A data center CBA requirement under Nebraska law should not automatically be interpreted as applying to every type of industrial project.
If a future project involved a power plant, manufacturing facility or another industrial use rather than a data center, the legal authority and requirements for a community benefits agreement would need to be evaluated based on that particular project.
What makes a community benefits agreement effective?
Not every agreement is automatically a good agreement. The details matter.
A strong agreement should answer basic questions:
What exactly is being promised?
Dollar amounts, projects, jobs, infrastructure or other commitments should be clearly defined.
Who receives the benefit?
Is money going to the county? Schools? Fire departments? A community foundation? Specific organizations?
When does the benefit happen?
Immediately?
During construction?
Annually?
Only after the facility reaches certain milestones?
What happens if the company doesn't meet the commitment?
This is one of the most important questions. An agreement is more meaningful when it includes clear accountability and enforcement provisions.
For example, Frederick County's proposed agreement includes financial safeguards such as bonds or letters of credit for certain public improvements and provisions that bind future property owners.
Who monitors it?
A community should be able to determine whether commitments are actually being fulfilled. That can include annual reports, public meetings, audits or publicly accessible dashboards.
A CBA should not replace due diligence
A community benefits package is not a reason to ignore potential impacts.
It should not be:
“The company is giving us money, so everything else doesn't matter.”
Instead, it can be another tool for addressing the legitimate costs and concerns associated with a project.
A community can ask:
What are the impacts?
What are the benefits?
What infrastructure is needed?
Who pays for it?
What protections are needed?
What commitments can be made?
How will those commitments be enforced?
A CBA can help answer some of those questions in a concrete way.
What could Cass County's priorities be?
If a major industrial project were ever proposed in Cass County, a community benefits discussion could begin by asking residents what they actually want. Not what another city wanted. Not what another state negotiated.
What does Cass County need?
Potential priorities could include:
Education
School facility improvements
STEM programs
Career and technical education
Scholarships
Workforce training
Agriculture
Agricultural preservation
Conservation easements
Soil and water programs
Support for rural infrastructure
Public safety
Fire equipment
EMS equipment
Training
Emergency response infrastructure
Infrastructure
Roads
Bridges
Water systems
Sewer systems
Broadband
Electrical infrastructure
Local economic development
Small-business grants
Local contractor opportunities
Workforce development
Apprenticeships
Local hiring
Community quality of life
Parks
Trails
Recreation
Libraries
Community facilities
Environmental resources
Water monitoring
Conservation
Habitat
Renewable energy
Noise monitoring
Long-term accountability
Annual reporting
Public dashboards
Independent monitoring
Decommissioning requirements
Financial guarantees
These are examples—not recommendations for what Cass County should require. The point is that a community can identify its own priorities before negotiating with a major developer.
The bigger idea: Don't just ask what the project brings. Ask what the community needs.
Large industrial projects can create opportunities and challenges at the same time.
The conversation does not necessarily have to be:
“Development is good.”
or
“Development is bad.”
A more detailed conversation can ask:
If this project moves forward, what would make the community better off?
And then:
Can those benefits be specific, measurable and enforceable?
Community benefits agreements are one tool that communities around the country are using to have that conversation.
For Cass County, the concept is worth understanding regardless of what ultimately happens with any particular industrial or data center proposal.
Because if a large project ever does come before the county, the community will be in a better position to ask informed questions if it already understands the tools available to it.
Questions worth asking if a major industrial project is proposed
Before focusing only on the size of the investment or the number of jobs, residents can ask:
1. What will the project require from the community?
2. What infrastructure will need to be built or upgraded?
3. Who pays for that infrastructure?
4. What tax revenue will be generated?
5. Are there tax incentives or abatements?
6. How many permanent local jobs will actually exist?
7. What workforce training will be provided?
8. What will happen to water demand?
9. What will happen during drought or other emergencies?
10. What commitments will be made to local schools, fire departments and other public services?
11. What happens if promised benefits aren't delivered?
12. Will the agreement be public?
13. Will there be annual reporting?
14. Will the commitments remain in place if the property is sold?
These questions don't assume that a project should or should not happen.
They simply help a community understand what it is being asked to host and what it could receive in return.
Community benefits are about more than a check
Perhaps the most important thing to understand is that a community benefits agreement doesn't have to be a single payment.
It can be a long-term relationship between a community and an industrial partner.
It can help fund a school.
Train a future workforce.
Equip a fire department.
Build a road.
Protect farmland.
Improve water infrastructure.
Create local contracting opportunities.
Fund parks and recreation.
Provide transparency.
Or establish measurable protections around the resources the community values.
The examples around the country look very different because the communities themselves have different needs.
There is no one-size-fits-all community benefits package.
If a major industrial project were ever proposed in Cass County, the question wouldn't simply be:
“How much money will this project bring?”
It could also be:
“What does Cass County need, and can the project help provide it?”
That is the purpose of understanding community benefits agreements.
Know the tools. Ask the questions. Understand the commitments. And make sure whatever is promised to the community is clear, measurable and accountable.
Have an idea? Talk to your county commissioners before negotiations end.
Call your Cass County commissioners and let them know what you think our community could use, what you would like to see invested in, and what you believe would make Cass County stronger for the future.
This isn't about telling you whether you should support or oppose a particular project.
It's about making sure that if significant development does come to our community, residents have already thought about what matters to them.
Community benefits agreements are one tool that can potentially turn those priorities into specific, measurable commitments.
So start the conversation now.
What would you like to see Cass County invest in?
What does our community need?
What would make a meaningful, lasting difference for you, your family and future generations?
Share your ideas with your county commissioners. Your voice is part of the process.
District 1 (Terry Dasher): dist1comm@casscountyne.gov
District 2 (Taylor Boyle): dist2comm@casscountyne.gov
District 3 (Alexander DeGarmo): dist3comm@casscountyne.gov
District 4 (Daniel Stohlmann): dist4comm@casscountyne.gov
District 5 (Duane Murdoch): dist5comm@casscountyne.gov
Sources & Further Reading
Nebraska Legislature — Nebraska Revised Statute §70-1506Nebraska's data-center statute includes annual reporting requirements and requires data center owners/operators to enter into community benefit agreements with affected communities.
Nebraska Department of Water, Energy & Environment — Data Center Task ForceThe state's Data Center Task Force resource hub includes community benefits agreements among the tools available to local governments considering data center development.
Kearney, Nebraska — 2026 Community Benefit AgreementKearney's 2026 agreement provides a Nebraska example involving workforce development, STEM education, local/veteran hiring, water stewardship and financial benefits.
Brookings — Community Benefit Agreements and Data CentersResearch and examples from Cedar Rapids, Lancaster, Cleveland and West Des Moines.
World Resources Institute — Community Benefits Agreements and Data CentersDiscussion of regional and hyperlocal benefits, including infrastructure, workforce, water, energy, digital access and accountability.
Frederick County, Maryland — 2026 Community Benefits AgreementExample of a $110 million agreement addressing schools, recreation, workforce development, agriculture, conservation, water use and public safety.
New Jersey Economic Development Authority — Data Center Municipal Resource HubGuidance on what communities should consider when negotiating community benefits agreements with large data center projects.
