|
Commissioners query secret QTI applicant
By SUZETTE PORTER
| Article published on Monday, May 25, 2009 |
|
 |
CLEARWATER - Pinellas County Commissioners voted 6-1 on May 29 to adopt a resolution approving an unknown applicant for the Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund program.
Commissioner Karen Seel voted no.
Approval means the county will make an investment of $85,000 to attract a company that wants to move it corporate headquarters to Pinellas County. The city of St. Petersburg will provide matching funds.
The company, which wishes to remain anonymous, proposes to invest $3.1 million in equipment and $600,000 in construction. The economic impact of the project is expected to be $1.7 million.
The total tax refund is $850,000, which is calculated at $8,500 per job for a total of 100 new jobs, according to a staff report.
Commissioner Ken Welch questioned the anonymity.
“If you look at the face, it looks like a good deal - $85,000 investment for a $1.7 million reinvestment,” he said. “But this is the first time we do not know the identity of the company.”
County Attorney Jim Bennett said state statute allows companies to keep their identity private during the process.
“The applicant doesn’t want to be revealed,” Bennett said. “We give them the option to reveal, but they don’t have to.”
Dennis Long, chief assistant county attorney, said the county’s process was changed on his recommendation in a move to protect the commissioners from violating state laws on disclosure in these matters.
He said basically the county added a box on the application that allows companies to indicate they want to reveal their identity.
“This company made a conscious decision” to keep its identity confidential,” Long said.
Commissioner Karen Seel asked if the company was a new company and was told yes.
“I have a problem spending the public’s money on this,” Seel said. “I can’t support this without knowing who they are.”
She also said that the information about the applicant seems to be less than usual.
“This is about bringing jobs into our community,” Commissioner Susan Latvala said. “This is a state law and they don’t want to divulge. Maybe they don’t want where they are now to know until this is a done deal. Maybe they don’t want people finding out by reading the newspaper or they don’t want reporters calling their employees.”
Commissioner Nancy Bostock said after the board approved its last QTI application, she received an e-mail from a competitor who was upset about the potential impact to his business. She asked if it was usual for existing businesses to complain about approving QTI for competitors.
“Competition is good,” Commissioner John Morroni said. “This is the right thing to do.”
“Jobs are needed,” Commissioner Calvin Harris said. “It shouldn’t be our place to provide a monopoly for a business.”
Bostock admitted frustration with a state program that would not require more information to be public. She requested that the matter be up for discussion for next year’s legislative platform.
“I’d like to roll back and do it the way we used to,” Commissioner Neil Brickfield said.
Long said the county could adopt a policy to only consider applications if the name of the company is known.
Bostock said it didn’t have to be a policy.
“They just need to know that the majority feel this way and it will up their odds of approval if they disclose,” she said.
|
Article published on Monday, May 25, 2009
Copyright © Tampa Bay Newspapers: All rights reserved. |
