One could argue that right now Guilford County needs more homes and infrastructure than it does jobs, but that isn’t stopping the county from spending money to bring in more new jobs.

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners went into closed session following the board’s open meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4 and, behind closed doors, the commissioners discussed, among other things, giving county taxpayer money to a new unnamed economic development project.

The commissioners decided to make the move after consulting with Greensboro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Brent Christensen, who waited throughout the three-hour-plus open meeting to consult with the board in private at the end.

The county hasn’t named the company in question.

The day after the closed session, on Friday, Sept. 5, in accordance with North Carolina law, the clerk’s office gave public notice that the Guilford County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. at their next meeting on Thursday, Sept. 18. That hearing will be held in in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room on the Second Floor of the Old Guilford County Court House at 301 W. Market St. in downtown Greensboro.

According to the notice sent out by the county, “The purpose of the hearing will be to receive public input on the proposed allocation of funds for the following Economic Development Incentive Grant to: Project McKinley, in the amount of $1,164,760.”

Guilford County used to name companies at the time they made the announcement of the public hearing; however, beginning a couple of years ago, the county began referring to the companies by their economic development codenames.

Twenty years ago, the commissioners hearings on giving taxpayer money away to thriving and expanding companies used to often lead to heated debates.  However, these days the “hearings” are nothing more than rubber stamps on a decision that has already been made.  Now the Board of Commissioners always votes to approve the incentives and the fact that the project is showing up on the agenda always means it is a done deal.

The notice from the county reads, “If approved, the County will fund the payments with available revenues in the County’s General Fund. The Board of County Commissioners believes this project will stimulate and stabilize the local economy and result in the creation of a substantial number of new jobs in the county. The company is considering an expansion at the Rock Creek Industrial Park facility in Unincorporated Guilford County in addition to other options within the United States for a projected investment of $77,048,078 in personal property and the creation of 420 new jobs by December 31, 2027.”

(Note: at this point the company isn’t really considering any other options.)

If the move is approved – and it will be – the county will make the cash incentive grants in accordance with the County’s Economic Development Investment Guidelines.

The company in question is also requesting state and other local incentives.

The county notes: “The local approval of incentives does not commit the company to locate in North Carolina; however, the cash grants are contingent upon, among other things, the company’s entry into a local economic development agreement with Guilford County containing the obligations and agreements of the company and Guilford County.”

One should note that the mystery company is obviously doing very well right now while the county is extremely strapped for cash.

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