EDGE leaders grilled on incentive program
Meet city, county officials
EDGE does not control who is hired by companies that receive local PILOTs, has issued far fewer PILOTs than has been publicly reported and can make changes to how it operates, but not without ramifications.
Those were some of the questions answered by leaders with the Memphis and Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine, who met Monday with city and county elected officials to discuss the development incentive program called payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT.
Organized by Memphis City Councilwoman and EDGE board member Wanda Halbert, the meeting also was attended by Shelby County commissioners Steve Basar, an EDGE board member, Justin Ford, Eddie Jones and Van Turner.
Members of both bodies have expressed confusion about EDGE, Halbert said, and have questioned EDGE’s power and ability to act without city or county approval.
They quizzed EDGE president and CEO Reid Dulberger and board chairman Al Bright.
EDGE was created in 2011 by a joint resolution of the council and commission to function as the centralized public sector development corporation, Dulberger said.
Companies that have been issued PILOT incentives have created 18,900 jobs, EDGE officials said.
But Halbert questioned why, with high unemployment and poverty rates, EDGE does not require companies that benefit from Memphis and Shelby County tax breaks to hire locally.
“How do we monitor