• David Tewes •
• Originally published October 30, 2008 at 11:41 p.m., updated October 30, 2008 at 11:41 p.m.

The possibility of a nuclear plant being built in Victoria County could inject new energy into the race for Precinct 3 county commissioner.

While the effects of the plant - good or bad - would be felt countywide and regionwide, the Exelon Nuclear facility would be built near McFaddin in Precinct 3.

Gary Burns, the Republican incumbent, said he embraces the idea of the plant, but Democratic challenger Ron Reyna said he's still undecided.

Burns said when he first heard about the proposal, he was asked to be on the team wooing Exelon Nuclear.

"I told them I needed some facts because I didn't know anything about it and it was directly affecting my precinct," he said. "We don't decide this just because it's going to be a benefit and we think it's going to make us all millionaires."

Burns has since visited other nuclear plants, including Exelon-owned Three Mile Island, and spoken with business owners and average people. He has become convinced the plant would be good for Victoria.

Reyna said he's also studied the issue and continues to do so.

"I'm not 100 percent for it or against it," he said. "There are a lot of good points and there are a lot of bad points. We've got to make sure we can live with this thing for the next 200 years."

Burns said after World War II, it was the industrial plants that helped provide good paying, dependable jobs to Victoria County residents. The nuclear plant would do the same thing for today's shaky economy, he said.

"With our current financial situation, we're all scared to death," Burns said. "This is a tremendous economic benefit."

Besides helping the local economy, the nuclear plant would help feed the state's growing hunger for electricity.

Reyna said there is a possibility the plant will help restaurants, home sales and other businesses.

"But on the other hand, when the plant is done, as a result of the plant, we're going to have higher property taxes," he said. "Anytime you have a boon, property values go up and there will be a boon when this thing kicks off."

But the boon will die out and the property taxes probably won't go down, he said.

Exelon has said the plant would need 75,000 acre-feet of water for its cooling process. That's about 7.5 times more than the city of Victoria uses in a typical year.

Burns said he's tired of hearing the argument about the plant using so much water. The water rights are owned by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, which will try to sell the water.

"That water will go somewhere for economic benefit," Burns said. "We need to keep it down here instead of sending it in a pipeline to San Antonio."

That way it will provide jobs and boost the local economy, he said.

Reyna said he belongs to the Water Research Group that has been tracking water issues in the region.

"We have been fighting to keep our water in Victoria," he said. The group's research has raised questions about whether the river authority has enough water available for the nuclear plant.

"The science they're using isn't as sound as you would like it to be," Reyna said. "San Antonio has been trying to get all the water they can get. Now, all of a sudden, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority has all this excess water San Antonio has been wishing and praying for, and now they're offering it to the nuclear project."

Because the plant would be in the Refugio school district, Refugio would get the school property taxes instead of Victoria.

Burns said he doesn't have a problem with that.

"From what I understand, under the Robin Hood Plan, Refugio is already considered a rich district and that money would be redirected to other school systems," Burns said. "I think it's possible that we can redirect it here."

But the plant would still increase property taxes for the Victoria district and other taxing agencies because of the new homes and businesses that would result from the associated growth, Burns said.

Reyna said it's the sad truth that Refugio's schools would get the property tax income. Yet Victoria's schools would get an extra 4,000 to 7,000 students because of the plant, he said.

"Our school board has worked long and hard to put together a plan to build a new school system with smaller classrooms and better student-to-teacher ratios," he said. "If this thing comes into play right after we have built all these schools, our schools are going to have portable buildings outside these new facilities."

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