The Ohio Supreme Court has cleared the way for a 2022 settlement agreement between Ohio’s tax commissioner and the owners of the NEXUS Gas Transmission pipeline to take effect.
The court’s recent 4-3 decision determined the Lorain County auditor could not appeal the property tax valuation of the NEXUS pipeline that was set by a 2022 settlement agreement between Ohio’s tax commissioner and the pipeline’s owners, Detroit-based DT Midstream and Enbridge, a Canadian company.
The natural gas transmission pipeline crosses 13 counties – Stark, Columbiana, Erie, Fulton, Henry, Huron, Lorain, Lucas, Medina, Sandusky, Summit, Wayne and Wood – and 37 school districts in northern Ohio.
A spokesman for Enbridge did not immediately return a message seeking comment about the court’s decision.
Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass had objected to the tax commissioner’s settlement, which set the taxable value of Ohio’s portion of the 256-mile interstate NEXUS pipeline at $950 million for 2019. The subsequent years’ values would be set by taking the 2019 valuation and subtracting for depreciation.