by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
When City Council member Alberta Hipps agreed to chair the Special Committee on Economic Development Incentives when it was created last fall, she admits she went into the endeavor with some preconceived notions.
Along with the other six Council members on the committee, Hipps was skeptical of Jacksonville’s incentive policy, how it stacked up against cities of comparable size and how accountable the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission was in awarding financial incentives to companies expanding in Jacksonville and thinking about moving here. After 10 months of dissecting Jacksonville’s incentive policy, sometimes line by line, what the committee discovered was that Jacksonville isn’t offering the moon to any and all that come asking and that “corporate welfare” is simply a way of life across the country as cities battle to retain and lure job-laden companies.
Council was presented a resolution Tuesday night that is actually more the product of the committee’s work than piece of a law-creating or altering legislation. The resolution will be assigned to the appropriate Council committees for perusal before going back to the full Council for final approval.
Now that her job is done — Hipps officially relinquished her chair June 30 — she can look back at a tedious but rewarding task and take solace in a job well done.
“I feel good about it because it was an absolutely thorough review,” said Hipps. “We had the public come and give their input and we got the input of many different resource people.”
What Hipps found and what she conveyed in a letter to then-Council president Matt Carlucci was that the JEDC is doing a fine job of assuring Jacksonville’s economy remains strong and that incentives are the economic lifeblood in today’s business world.
“In many ways, we are more organized and streamlined than other cities,” said Hipps. “With the JEDC we have a good framework and an excellent working relationship the Chamber and our consolidated government. Incentives are here to stay and are necessary to be competitive.”
Over the next several weeks, Council and the JEDC will also be asked to consider a couple of other items that surfaced at the committee’s last regular meeting. Those items include a “laundry list” submitted by Council vice president Lad Daniels and legislation asking that certain areas of town excluded from regular incentives be considered “intensive care business zones.”
One thing Hipps stressed is that Jacksonville should never encourage the practice of delving into local school tax funds as an economic incentive. A survey of several cities done early in the committee’s existence revealed that some cities are actually tapping that funding source for non-educational purposes.
“We have said, here in Jacksonville, absolutely not,” said Hipps.
Once Hipps steps aside, Council president Jerry Holland will appoint a new committee and a new chair. What role that committee plays is yet to be seen. Considering the policy has been under the microscope the last several months, there might not be much to do. Hipps said that as the policy progresses through Council committees she’ll stay involved.
“I have essentially completed my role as chairman but I will be glad to appear before the committees to which the ordinance is assigned to answer any questions,” she said. “It’s been an educational process and I’ve enjoyed the immersion into how we are, as a city, competing for jobs and how we drive towards that high quality of life.”