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House panel hears broad support to extend SmartZone tax capture for 15 years
Summary
The House Committee on Economic Competiveness heard unified testimony supporting House Bill 5031, which would extend tax-increment capture for existing Michigan SmartZones by 15 years, include satellite SmartZones, and change some mandatory approval language to discretionary; witnesses from local economic development groups cited job creation, investment and continuity risks if extensions lapse.
The House Committee on Economic Competitiveness on Jan. 16 heard testimony in support of House Bill 5031, which would extend the tax-increment capture period for existing Michigan SmartZone technology districts by 15 years and explicitly include satellite SmartZones.
Representative Robinson, sponsor of HB 5031, told the committee the bill "just merely extends the authorized capture period for existing smart zones by 15 years" and "strictly addresses the timeline and continuity," and does not change how SmartZones operate or otherwise expand the program.
Witnesses from regional economic-development organizations and municipal officials described SmartZones as long-term, locally rooted tools to move university research to market, retain talent and support manufacturing supply chains. Paula McPherson, executive director of Velocity in Macomb County, said Velocity helped create 155 new jobs in 2025 and retained 310, worked directly with about 300 businesses, awarded over $650,000 in grants and — according to her…
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