Monsanto opponents address the MUSD Governing Board
The controversy over the Monsanto greenhouse coming to the Marana area made its way to the Marana Unified School District Governing Board. Opponents of Monsanto utilized the call to the public portion of the Jan. 12 meeting to voice their displeasure over the project and the district’s potential role in it.
In an effort to secure a Foreign Trade Zone designation, and the property tax break that goes with it, Monsanto offered MUSD’s 2340 Foundation $500,000 in lieu of lost tax revenue. In many ways the payment is a good faith gesture and has no bearing on whether or not the company builds the proposed seven-acre greenhouse in the area. Although Marana would provide a letter of no objection, they do not actually have to endorse the project.
According to district spokesperson Tamara Crawley, a similar payment was made to the Joint Technical Educational District (JTED), while records show the Pima College refused a proposal from the corporation.
