1.30.10
$325K for econ development plan boosts budget
BY: Garth Bishop - www.columbuslocalnews.com
City officials are looking for economic development efforts in Columbus to go on the offensive in 2010.

Columbus City Council on Jan. 20 announced its proposed amendments to Mayor Michael Coleman's 2010 budget. Council was expected to vote on the budget with amendments at its Monday, Feb. 1, meeting.

The passage in August of the city's income tax increase has allowed the city to restore some of its spending priorities without growing government, said Councilman Hearcel Craig.

The income tax hike was part of a three-point plan to address the city's budget shortfall, said Councilman Andrew Ginther; the other points were government reform for cost savings, and increased job creation and economic development work.

An additional $325,000 for an economic development plan, as proposed by council, is part of that work, Ginther said.

As income tax makes up more than 70 percent of the city's revenue, efforts to increase business development in the city are to everyone's benefit, Ginther said.

The additional investment will allow the city to target job attraction, retention and creation, and will give staff members the chance to be more aggressive with their recruiting efforts by going after companies all across the country and even around the world, said Ginther.

"These additional resources ... will help put (staff) on offense in recruiting new jobs in the area," he said.

Right now, city staff's approach is more reactionary, primarily responding to existing leads, said Ginther. With the added boost, it will be able to better follow leads, as well as advertise the city and raise its profile, he said.

An additional $250,000 to TechColumbus also will help to boost the city's business opportunities, said Councilman A. Troy Miller.

TechColumbus's TechStart program is set up to accelerate the creation of new technology companies in the Columbus area and provides pre-seed funding to help launch them. That additional $250,000 will allow TechColumbus to leverage city funding for a state match. The goal is to provide $2 million in pre-seed funding.

The more funding the group has, the more companies it can add to its incubator program so they can continue to grow, said Miller.

"Any one of those participating startups could be the next Oracle, Google, Microsoft," he said.

Technology touches every industry, Miller said, so the investment in technology in Columbus will have a significant effect.

"By having these new companies, that means more jobs for the Columbus (region)," Miller said. "It's important for people to know that."

The Small Business Development Center at Columbus State Community College will receive $60,000 more thanks to council's budget amendments to help it boost outreach and training for small businesses in underserved areas of Columbus, as well as increase capital funding.

Part of that effort will include services targeted toward the Latino community, including the establishment of a Latino entrepreneurship expo on the West Side, said Craig.

The second-biggest line item on council's list of proposed amendments -- $360,000 to the Community Shelter Board -- also has an effect on jobs, as it will help save jobs for people using the shelters, said Councilwoman Charleta Tavares.

"The system supports about 360 jobs," board Interim Director Steven Gladman said at council's Jan. 21 meeting for public comment on the proposed amendments.

The biggest line item in council's budget amendments is $2.2 million for a new class of 50 fire service recruits. The city expects a slew of retirements associated with its deferred option retirement plan -- as many as 78 -- and the new firefighters will be needed to plug those holes in the fire rosters, said Ginther.

"Obviously, if we're going to maintain staffing levels, it's going to take this class," he said.

The city's investment in the fire department is much appreciated, said Jack Reall, president of the local chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

"I appreciate wholeheartedly everything that they've done to ensure our department's success in the future," Reall said.

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