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Burke County approves four-year tax grant for Project Arlington, citing 64 new jobs
Summary
The Burke County Board of Commissioners approved a performance-based incentive granting 50% of net new local taxes for four years to support Project Arlington, a proposed $15 million investment expected to create about 64 jobs averaging roughly $60,000. The vote was 4-0 after a public hearing and a short public comment from Western Piedmont.
Burke County commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 6 to approve an economic development incentive for "Project Arlington," a proposal to repurpose a vacant building into a domestic manufacturing facility.
County staff told the board the project represents about $15 million in total investment, with roughly $7 million counted as net new taxable investment because the building already exists. County Manager (Speaker 12) framed the proposal as a chance to grow the county tax base and jobs, saying, "Project Darlington, is an exciting project because it repurposes an existing building that's been vacant for some time." The county recommended returning 50% of taxes paid on the net new value for four years, an arrangement intended to be performance‑based. Economic development staff said the state has offered about $950,000 in incentives and estimated the county grant would total roughly $61,000 over four years based on current values.
Brandon Root, the county's economic development director, told the board the company is a multi‑generation, U.S. manufacturing firm that would create about 64 positions with an average wage near $60,000. He said the incentive applies only to "net new taxable investment," not the existing taxed property: "So it's based on, net new taxable investment," he explained.
The board opened a public hearing; Dr. Welch of Western Piedmont Community College spoke in favor, stressing that advanced‑manufacturing jobs build local skills and make the workforce more attractive to other employers. After closing the hearing and receiving no further public comment, a commissioner moved to approve the incentive under North Carolina law and the board approved the package by a 4-0 vote.
The agreement approved is performance‑based and limited to four years; commissioners and staff said taxes will be collected at full value after the agreement ends. Staff noted the final incentive schedule will be tied to the company's investment timeline and to legally required state procedures for local incentives.
