Muncie renews 'Make My Move' remote-worker recruiting contract; mayor cites 188 movers
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Summary
The board approved a renewal of the Make My Move Muncie contract. Mayor Dan Ridenour said the program has attracted 188 remote workers since 2022, producing an estimated economic impact of about $4.39 million and a retention rate of 87%.
The Muncie Board of Public Works and Safety voted Feb. 12 to renew the city’s contract with Make My Move Muncie, Mayor Dan Ridenour said.
Ridenour described the renewal as the third since the city started the program in 2022. He said the state reimburses half of the program cost via EDIT (reimbursement to the city) and that Make My Move manages marketing and initial outreach. “Since '22, we've had 188 people who have moved here,” Ridenour said. He reported an economic impact figure of $4,393,525 — a number he said included income and property tax equivalents and local service spending. He said “last year alone was about 1.6 [million].”
Ridenour said the program focuses outreach on Ball State graduates and that remote workers have primarily come from Pennsylvania, California and Texas. He said most participants initially rent with many intending to buy later and cited a retention rate of 87%.
The board discussed the contract amount and incentives; Ridenour stated the city’s contract portion is approximately $155,000 and that some incentives are covered by Ball State, the Chamber and other partners, and that the state reimburses half of eligible costs through EDIT.
A motion to approve the remote-worker recruiting contract was made, seconded and carried with the board voting aye.
Ending: The renewal keeps Muncie in the state-backed program to recruit remote workers and seeks to continue the city’s stated recruitment pace of roughly two dozen movers per cycle.