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Board adopts county economic incentive policy to guide business recruitment
Summary
The Ashe County commissioners approved a new economic incentive policy, modeled on state guidance, that establishes a process for reimbursable cash grants tied to capital investment and job creation; the policy requires county-manager and commissioner approvals.
Ashe County commissioners on Sept. 2 approved a new county economic incentive policy intended to standardize responses to businesses seeking tax or cash incentives for locating or expanding in the county.
Nick, the county’s community development staff member who presented the policy, said the draft is modeled on state guidelines from the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) and sets out a reimbursable cash‑grant approach based on a percentage of a company’s capital investment. The policy ties eligibility to factors including job creation that pays above area median income and compliance with state requirements. It deliberately does not set a single fixed percentage, Nick said, so commissioners can vary offers based on economic benefit and tax-base diversification.
Under the approved process, the community development director serves as the initial point of contact. Staff will prepare a recommendation for the county manager, who then forwards a recommendation to the commissioners; the board has final authority to authorize, modify or deny incentive requests, Nick said. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about terminology and a few typographical references to “council” in the draft; staff said those would be corrected.
The board approved the policy with the minor edits noted. Commissioners said the policy will give staff and prospective businesses consistent expectations as the county moves from building out an industrial park to recruiting tenants.
