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Columbus proposes $6.8 million operating budget for economic development, highlights small‑business investments
Summary
Deputy Director Bill Webster told council the Department of Development’s 2025 operating proposal directs $6.8 million to economic development and small‑business programming, while the city will continue to manage larger capital and incentive funds including tax increment financing and bonds.
Deputy Director Bill Webster of the Department of Development told the council at a Jan. hearing that the department’s 2025 general fund proposal totals $34.5 million and that $6.8 million of that is dedicated to economic development and small‑business activity.
Webster said the $6.8 million is about a 2% increase over the prior year and covers staffing and program costs; he emphasized that the city programs and manages substantially larger capital and incentive pools, including roughly $50 million in tax increment financing and $71 million in bond funding that the department administers.
The presentation highlighted specific small‑business initiatives and recent 2024 outcomes: Accelerate…
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