About 20 years ago the Guilford County Board of Commissioners would sometimes actually reject incentives requests from companies – or at least they would argue about it and Chairman Skip Alston and the late Commissioner Carolyn Coleman would ask about minority representation of the company’s leadership.
But those days are gone.
These days, the board always approves the incentives packages that come before them and the one coming early next month will be no exception. Still, the board is required by law to hold a public, so they are going to hold a hearing for advocates and opponents to have their say before the board votes unanimously to approve giving $300,000 to a prosperous company that no doubt would have chosen Guilford County anyway.
The Guilford County Board of Commissioners will hold the public hearing at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4, to get input on a proposed $300,000 economic development incentive grant for a company code-named “Project Ticket.”
The hearing will take place 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 county staff on Friday, Nov. 21, the unnamed company is considering leasing space at 2506 Sinclair Avenue in High Point for a new project. The notice also states the company is weighing other locations in the United States but the Rhino Times highly doubts that at this point in the process.
County officials stated that the project represents a total projected investment of $30 million in real or personal property and the creation of 99 new jobs with an average annual wage of $62,250.
With every company and their brother’s company now always choosing red hot Guilford County to locate, area leaders better start moving fast on infrastructure needs like housing and water.
After the commissioners approve the incentive package, Guilford County will pay the $300,000 grant out of available revenue in the county’s General Fund. The notice states that the board believes the project will help stimulate and stabilize the local economy.
The company is also seeking state incentives and support from other local governments before making a final site decision.
Even if county commissioners approve the grant, the company wouldn’t be obligated to choose Guilford County – and any cash payments are contingent on the company entering into a formal economic development agreement with the county, one that spells out all obligations on both sides.
Oh yeah! Just chump change to Skip, but your tax dollars. Poof!
Why don’t your wait until the water catches up? Hmmmmmmmm?
Handing our corporate welfare is exactly choosing one company over another. Just reduce the property tax rate for everyone. that will benefit everyone, including all companies doing business here. Oh, my bad. Huduhthunk common sense would apply?
Has anybody asked the details of the requirement of having a public hearing for funding an anonymous company? If this is legitimate, why are they anonymous? Wake up people!
Companies don’t come to Guilford County because of the “skilled labor pool “, or our central location. They come for low wages and taxes, the taxes being carried on the back of property owners, and the low wages caused by others who have come before them. Only the politicians and their inner circle profit from this farce.
I have an idea, let’s prohibit anonymous corporations from receiving incentives. If a corporation wants to move here, make it known to the public. Maybe we don’t want the business in our county. We have a right to know who is taking our property tax money BEFORE it is given out. Why should the public’s water supply be threatened by growth that the government orchestrated?
In the past when a business was considering moving to a location, the considerations were taxes, transportation systems, a skilled workforce, and schools. Today NC cannot build highways fast enough and corporate taxes are low and going lower. More than 60% of the cost of roads is being paid for with federal dollars; NC could not build these huge concrete highways without federal money. These highways are creating rainwater runoff rather than the rain being absorbed by the ground. These highways benefit the local population very little. Yes, they shave off a few minutes, maybe, from a shopping trip. But the roads are being built for businesses and travelers passing through. Regarding skilled workers and schools, businesses are bringing in their own employees and using robots and AI to eliminate the need for local two-legged animals. So, what is the the benefit to having corporations that are paid with property tax money to move here? Ask the governor, the NC legislature, and Guilford County. What is the cost benefit analysis of the battery plant in Liberty, using the environment in the formula. I posit that the water problems are tied directly to the road building and the businesses moving here. This is something the government has direct control over but chooses to side with growth that will come back to bite the population on the butt.
Hmmm… “Project Ticket”. Maybe it’s the thieves/crooks who are said to be coming in to install red-light cameras again. Skip and them? Priceless. No, I mean pricey.
it’s me & my company ! as soon as i get this $ i will shout ‘that’s the TICKET’ & flee
If the company is actually required to invest $30 million and have a $6 million annual payroll, $300,000 would be less than 1% so it might be a good deal.
You miss the point. No property tax money should be given to corporations, regardless of the amount.
. . . & you, personally, could vote after careful consideration by you, to support the business by buying stock with your $$ not confiscated by guvmnt property taxes: capitalism & real democracy !