Council Vote to Bring More Than $11.3 Million in Living-Wage Jobs to City
Companies
to Invest $67.2 Million in Capital Improvements
[Columbus, OH] City Council’s strategic focus on helping create
more living wage jobs continues to attract interest. Today, March 11, 2019,
Council passed legislation that included living wage job growth, major capital
investments and the first job incentive agreements under the newly codified
base wage requirement of $15 per hour. Ordinances 0507-2019, 0545-2019,
0546-2019, 0547-2019 and 0563-2019 are estimated to bring 183 new jobs, retain
540 current jobs and generate more than $11.3 million in total local payroll.
The companies will not only commit to keeping and creating jobs
but will also invest $67.2 million in local facilities.
“Not all jobs are created equal. When a job doesn't pay a living
wage, employees struggle to support their families and the opportunity gap
widens,” said council President Pro Tem and Finance Chair Elizabeth Brown.
“When we use tax incentives correctly to encourage job creation in our city, we
promote broad-based economic prosperity by ensuring those jobs pay a living
wage.”
Brown led the overhaul of the city’s tax incentives policies
which include a $15 per hour minimum wage requirement for new jobs created by
using the programs: downtown office incentive, job creation tax
credit and jobs growth incentive.
"Partnerships that provide a community benefit is the basis
of our work,” said Councilmember Emmanuel Remy. “We are all about attracting
talent, creativity and jobs to Columbus, and we will be aggressive to help
companies grow locally.” Remy, Chair of the Economic Development
Committee, sponsored three ordinances to enter job incentive agreements with:
- Filtra-Systems
Company LLC for the creation of 10 new full-time permanent positions with
an estimated annual payroll of approximately $600,000. (Ordinance
0545-2019 - Dual-rate Jobs Growth Incentive Agreement)
- Radiology
Partners Management, LLC for the retention of 51 full-time jobs and the
creation of 60 net new full-time permanent positions with an estimated
annual payroll of approximately $4.2 million. (Ordinance 0546 - Downtown
Office Incentive Agreement)
- Vantage
Point Logistics, Inc. for the retention of 30 jobs and the creation of 70
net new full-time permanent positions with an estimated annual payroll of
approximately $4.2 million. (Ordinance 0547 - Dual-rate Jobs Growth
Incentive Agreement)
During the meeting, Council also passed two Enterprise Zone
Agreements to bolster job creation and capital investment in the city. They
are:
- Abbott
Laboratories and Abbott Manufacturing Inc. for the retention of 428
full-time jobs and the creation of 38 net new full-time permanent
positions with an estimated annual payroll of approximately $2,315,000.
Abbott is also proposing to invest a total project cost of approximately
$62,000,000, which includes $11,741,000 in real property improvements,
$49,615,000 in machinery and equipment and $644,000 in stand-alone
computers to expand its manufacturing site by constructing a free-standing
facility. (Ordinance 0507-2019 - Enterprise Zone Agreement)
- Cloverleaf
Cold Storage Co., LLC and CCS Realty Property Owner LLC for the retention
of 31 full-time jobs and the creation of 5 net new full-time permanent
positions. Cloverleaf Cold Storage Co., LLC and CCS Realty Property Owner
LLC jointly propose to invest the total project cost of approximately
$4,200,000 in construction and real property improvements and the
expansion of their cold storage facility. (Ordinance 0563 - Enterprise
Zone Agreement)
“We are working diligently to develop solutions that work on
multiple levels that will have a positive impact on the City,” said
Councilmember and former Chair of the Economic Development Committee Shayla
Favor. “Strengthening our community is the basis for every decision we
make.”
In total, Council action will bring more than $11.3 million in
living-wage jobs and $67.2 million in capital improvements to the city.
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