Council reviews amended CRA agreement as developer raises payroll pledge to $9 million

At its May 7 work session, the Trenton City Council heard a second reading of an ordinance approving a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) agreement, Finance Director Matthew Mesisklis said. He reported the developer agreed to amend the draft to remove a tax-increment financing (TIF) provision and to increase its payroll pledge from $5 million to $9 million, which the staff described as averaging roughly $75,000 per employee. Mr. Mesisklis said the City still expects actual headcount and average payroll figures to be about 20 to 25 percent higher than those pledge numbers.

Mayor Perry commented that the earlier average-salary figure (about $40,000, per the staff summary) was close to the average income of a Trenton resident and that the revised $75,000 average represents a meaningful increase compared with that earlier figure. The transcript records the second-reading presentation and these staff summaries but does not record a final council vote on the ordinance during the work session.

Why it matters: CRA agreements typically guide local incentives and development expectations, including jobs and payroll levels tied to a project. Council discussion focused on the amended terms described by staff and the absence of the TIF in the draft, which the City said it will not provide.

What happens next: The transcript does not record a council vote on the ordinance at this meeting. Further consideration, final action or additional amendments would appear on a subsequent agenda if scheduled.