- May 4, 2024
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Should Flagler County try to entice businesses to move here by offering them expedited permitting and breaks on taxes and fees?
Commissioners considered such economic development incentive options during a Jan. 22 commission workshop, voicing support for many.
"I think every budget session, it weighs on our conscience, the fact that we rely on our residential and property tax base so heavily," Commission Chairman Andy Dance said after thanking county staff members for their presentation on incentive options. "... I think this commission is dedicated to working to create options to bring in that option for increasing our commercial industrial tax base and taking the reliance off of the homeowners."
Tourist Development Director Amy Lukasik presented commissioners with nine potential incentive program options and displayed a chart showing which ones are used in which other Florida counties.
The options included: Fast-track permitting, ad valorem property tax abatement, tangible personal property tax abatement, an incentive wage grant, a recaptured enhanced value grant program, an impact fee grant program, industrial development revenue bonds, an industrial development authority, and a public-private partnership to develop a light industrial park.
"Some of them are low-hanging fruit," Dance said, mentioning fast-track permitting. Nearby Clay County, he noted from Lukasik's chart, has five incentive programs: fast-track permitting, a recaptured enhanced value grant program, an impact fee grant program, industrial development revenue bonds and an industrial development authority. He suggested that the county could piggyback on those.
Commissioner Greg Hansen said that fast-track permitting, an incentive wage grant and a recaptured enhanced value grant program looked like they would be easy to implement.
"We could do those pretty simply," he said.
Commissioner Donald O'Brien said he agreed with Dance about fast-track permitting. He added that is not a fan of incentive wage grants.
"I think they can get dicey with the accounting and the accountability of them from the recipients," he said. "... And I'm not a fan of partnering on a public-private light industrial park, unless we had a rock-solid prospect that came to us and was wiling to work with us, and we knew that going in."
He said he would also support the formation of an industrial development authority, working with the chamber of commerce and local cities.
Dance noted the county's existing affordable housing program uses fast-track permitting and impact fee reductions, making it easy to extend such policies to an economic development program. The county also has partners for the creation of an industrial development authority, he said.
Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Greg Blosé told commissioners that he was glad to hear them express support for an industrial development authority and industrial development revenue bonds.
"We think that solves an actual problem and creates an opportunity," he said. "... The county has reduced the amount of money put into economic development, so we can create a program that creates money for an economic development program, so you don't have to take it out of the general fund. I mean, I think that's a win for everybody."
