Committee forwards revised jobs grant program to council

The committee for the Maumee City Council voted July 8 to forward a revised jobs grant program to the full council for consideration.

Staff member Jennifer told the panel the draft consolidates two existing programs—the jobs creation/retention program and the mini jobs grant—"clarifying some language, updating the dollar amount, and making it a little bit easier for applicants to apply for and then for staff to administer it and monitor it." She said the core structure remains the same: one-third of any new payroll income-tax collection would be used for the grant, leaving two-thirds as a net benefit to the city.

The draft sets a cap at $4,000,000 of new payroll, which Jennifer described as yielding a $20,000 grant at the one-third rate. She offered a numeric example: "for example, the $4,000,000 payroll, a total of 60,000 would be new income tax collected with 20,000 out for the grant." Jennifer added the program is subject to annual appropriations and is not a guaranteed multi-year commitment.

Committee members questioned whether the program would be competitive with neighboring jurisdictions. Jennifer said Sylvania and Perrysburg offer the same one-third structure and that Toledo operates a similar jobs-creation program, arguing that the grant helps Maumee remain competitive for small and mid-sized businesses.

A committee member moved to send the revised jobs grant proposal to the council; the chair seconded and the motion passed with an "Aye" vote. The committee’s vote forwards the draft to the full council, which must approve any final ordinance and appropriations.

The item will appear on the council’s agenda for further consideration and formal action.