Austin’s economy – if statistical rankings can be believed – is currently among the best in the country. Judging by those rankings, the city is at or near the top of many publications’ lists for job creation, business environment, places to go to school, live, work, socialize and retire. In their annual Economic Development […]
Economic Development Incentives
This is shorthand for a series of programs designed to lure business to a given region. In Austin, the program tends to take some form of tax-based incentives. These can include rebates or grants that are often tied to a set of stipulations. These tend to include local hiring goals, same-sex partner benefits, or, more recently, wage floors for construction workers who build facilities for the incoming organizations.
Posted inLocal Politics, Uncategorized
Council discusses economic incentives for Dropbox, Websense
Austin City Council members Thursday got their first public look at the data behind a potential incentives deal designed to lure two more technology companies, Websense and Dropbox, to the city. Though whispers – and Council debate over an eventually successful development agreement with Athenahealth – leading up to that briefing indicated some level of […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics, Uncategorized
Two more tech companies seek incentives from state, city
Both the City of Austin and the Office of Governor Rick Perry announced two separate economic development incentive proposals Thursday that they say would bring 640 new full-time jobs and a capital investment of more than $15 million to Austin. The tech companies are Websense, Inc. and Dropbox, Inc. According to the city’s Economic […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Split Council passes economic incentive deal for Athenahealth
City Council members approved on a 5-2 vote an incentives package aimed at bringing Massachusetts- based Athenahealth to the city. The move came as Council Members Laura Morrison and Kathie Tovo continued to question the appropriateness of the city providing incentives during times of economic success, and voted against the measure. Ultimately however, their […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Government, Local Politics, Uncategorized
Travis County approves economic development incentives rules
Finalizing an effort that has been months in the making, the Travis County Commissioners unanimously approved revised economic development incentives for the county Tuesday. “It’s been a struggle working on this and I think we’ve done a pretty good job by involving an array of collaborative efforts with many sources,” said Pct. 1 Commissioner […]
Posted inDevelopment, Elections, Local Government, Local Politics
Eckhardt criticizes McCombs for seeking tax breaks, suing appraisal district
Travis County Judge candidate Sarah Eckhardt continued her verbal campaign against billionaire businessman Red McCombs Thursday, taking him to task for asking taxpayers to contribute millions of dollars to build the Circuit of the Americas race track but going to court to get his property tax bill on the facility lowered. Eckhardt, a former […]
Posted inLocal Government, Uncategorized
Commissioners still pondering prevailing wage questions
Travis County Commissioners found themselves in the middle of tug-of-war Tuesday over proposed policy changes to the county’s Economic Development and Construction Procurement Practices. The issue of the county requiring a prevailing wage of $11 per hour for all construction done with county money sparked an extended debate. The Travis County Economic Development Task […]
Posted inDevelopment
Arizona wins new Apple manufacturing plant
Apple announced Monday that it plans to open a manufacturing operation in a Phoenix suburb that will eventually create up to 2,000 jobs making sapphire glass for a number of the company’s products. The deal was announced Monday by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, who said that the project will create more than 700 permanent jobs […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Government
Austin may be competing with Phoenix for new Apple facility
Phoenix and Austin could be in competition again, this time in a race to lure Apple to manufacture computers in a local facility with the possibility of hundreds of jobs and millions in economic development to either region. An article in the Phoenix Business Journal Monday quoted unnamed sources in the commercial real estate […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council to hear proposals linking wage rules to development deals
Council members remain at work on potential amendments to a proposal from Council Members Mike Martinez, Kathie Tovo, and Laura Morrison that would link wage requirements to city economic incentive deals. It was unclear as of Wednesday afternoon just what form those amendments might take. An up or down Council vote is expected as part […]