Riot dismisses these concerns as unfounded and says the Texas Coalition Against Cryptomining’s position is not representative of the general population. “We definitely want them to buy in,” Morgenstern says. Riot, he says, aims to “mobilize the people who support us, and there are many of them. We believe they greatly outnumber their opponents.

However, in March, before the riot reduction was voted on by the county commissioners, many local residents expressed their disapproval. “We received so many negative comments in favor of a reduction,” says Brewer. “Between the phone calls, emails, texts and people walking through the door, over 100 people have encouraged me not to give them a tax break.” Brewer says no residents spoke in favor of giving Riot the discount.

Commissioners ultimately declined to vote on the issue, pushing back a final decision to an unspecified later date. In the meantime, Riot needs a way to convince local community members.

Riot has already invested money to address the problem, sending checks totaling more than $100,000 to local school districts and other community initiatives. To allay concerns about its presence, it held two meeting sessions in May and June with local residents. Annexation by Oak Valley could represent another opportunity to bring people together.

In a May 24 email titled “Thoughts on Your Public Relations Needs,” Taylor, the Oak Valley mayor, advised Schatz on how best to use the additional franchise fee to attract Riot to county commissioners, the guardians of the abatement. “I have some thoughts on how to turn public opinion in your favor,” he wrote.

The mayor’s idea was to invest franchise surpluses in combating the scourge of wild dogs in Navarro County, a major source of frustration among residents. “I think this is the one issue that not only could turn the people of Navarro County into pro-Riot Platform (sic) supporters, but…could be the olive branch to transform [the commissioners] in favor of an ad valorem regime that is at least partial [according to value] reduction,” Taylor wrote.

Taylor went on to explain that the commissioners are “longtime friends” and have gone to church with them. “I think I can use the animal control issues to hopefully rally the Navarro County Commissioners,” he wrote in a later email.