INCENTIVES

from D1

He also made it clear the Chamber is not recruiting industries strictly at $10.50 an hour, but seeking to find companies willing to pay better wages to attract and retain a quality workforce.

McDonald instructed the economic development team to survey what other communities are doing with respect to their salary requirements.

“Please know that just as we guard what deals we are doing, it is difficult to get exact numbers. But we’ll do our best,” Hodge said

Kibler reminded the authority it is important to be sensitive to existing industries about bringing in companies that are going to pay a higher wage which could lure some of the existing company’s workforce away.

“We don’t want to have some kneejerk

reaction that ends up being tough on our local workforce,” Kibler said. Hodge said existing industries have the opportunity to get more in the way of incentives when they expand than a new company coming into town.

“That is the fundamental premise for all of this, if existing manufacturers don’t benefit, then why would a new company be able to benefit?” Hodge asked.

The authority agreed to have a joint meeting with the GREIA board to get even more input from the manufacturing sector.

“As much as we want to close a deal, all of us want to be open and have integrity with the companies that are coming here,” Hodge said.

Chairman McDonald said that the authority wants to make sure the community is getting “the best bang we can for the investment the community is making in these various projects.”