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Developing Criteria and Stating Public Purposes <br />for Business Subsidies <br />Under Minn. Stat. §1167.993 through §1167.995, granting agencies must develop criteria for awazding <br />business subsidies after a public hearing. In addition, each business subsidy agreement must indicate a <br />public purpose. The law allows grantors flexibility in stating public purposes appropriate for their <br />communities, but requires that agreements meet a public purpose which may include, but may not be <br />limited to, increasing the tax base and that job retention be used as a public purpose only when job loss is <br />specific and demonstrable. Although the law does not require public purposes to be addressed in the <br />criteria, grantors may want to refer to the public purposes below for criteria ideas. The following public <br />purposes and criteria were recommended by the legislatively established Corporate Subsidy Reform <br />Commission. <br />Enhancing Economic Diversity <br />/ In what ways does the project improve the mix of businesses in the azea so as to: (1) allow the area to <br />participate in fast-growing industries; (2) protect the azea from adverse economic consequences <br />caused by slow growth or declining industries that are dominant in the area; and (3) provide essential <br />consumer services, or develop a network of local suppliers to businesses within the community where <br />they otherwise do not exist? <br />Creating High-Quality Job Growth <br />/ How many new jobs will be created, and what will they pay? <br />/ How do wages proposed to be paid compare to community wage levels? <br />/ How many jobs will be created with opportunities for career advancement, educational opportunities, <br />or occupational training? <br />/ What aze the projections for job growth at the project over the nest period of two to five yeazs? <br />/ What aze the fringe benefits that are payable for the jobs (particularly, is there child care, health caze, <br />and pension coverage)? <br />Providing for Job Retention, Where Loss is Imminent and Demonstrable <br />/ After collecting the necessary documents, is there substantial evidence that the company will have to <br />shut down involuntarily? <br />/ After collecting the necessary documents, is there substantial evidence that the company has received <br />an offer to move to another state or community that is attractive enough that a reasonable person <br />would seriously consider a move for business reasons? <br />/ What potential negative effect would the subsidy have on other competing businesses and overall azea <br />job quality? <br />Stabilizing the Community <br />/ How will the project constitute a significant investment in an azea that (1) has not historically <br />received similaz investments; (2) is a blighted azea; or (3) is an economically depressed area? <br />/ How will the project stimulate other investment or create spinoff businesses and jobs in the azea? <br />Increasing the Tax Base <br />Note: The law requires business subsidies to meet a public purpose which may include, but may not be <br />limited to, increasing the tax base, but grantors may use increasing the tax base in conjunction with <br />another public purpose. <br />/ How will the project uniquely affect the property tax base for all taxing jurisdictions, both short term <br />and long term and both directly and indirectly? <br />/ How will the project affect other local business and individual property tax bills? <br />SOURCE: Corporate Subsidy Reform Commission, 1997 Corporate Subsidy Reform Cwmnission Report, February 6, 1998. <br />Department of Trade and Economic Development Page 6 of 6 January 22, 2003 <br />