Members of the Rome-Floyd County Development Authority listen to a presentation from Chamber President Al Hodge. Mayor Evie McNiece (clockwise from left), Pete McDonald, Angie Lewis, Heather Seckman, Doc Kibler, Andy Davis, Alex Warren and Gary Downey learned that the Department of Community Affairs has redesignated four less developed Census tracts in Floyd County for job tax credits. (Doug Walker, RN-T.com)
The move means businesses that create jobs in those areas will continue to be eligible for up to a $3,500-per-job tax credit for as many as five years.
Rome Mayor Evie McNiece and Floyd County Commission Chairman Irwin Bagwell asked the state to continue the status because the four parcels continue to suffer from economic distress.
The DCA resolution specifically points to plant closings as the main issue.
One tract includes the Mohawk distribution center off Ga. 53 that closed on Dec. 1, 2008, and another takes in the Mohawk plant off Huffaker Road that closed Oct. 28, 2011. The third covers the Pierre Foods plant on Lavender Drive that closed on May 13, 2010, and the fourth is a contiguous tract affected by the closings.
In their letter to the state, McNiece and Bagwell said more than 1,500 jobs had been lost in those four tracts between 2009 and 2011.
The report came during Tuesday’s meeting of the Rome-Floyd County Development Authority.
Members also heard from Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce President Al Hodge that economic development activity continues to be strong.
“Heather (Seckman) and Ken Wright have been working closely with some of our newer prospects. … We’ve been generating a lot of leads,” Hodge said.
He said Rome and Floyd County get high marks from prospective employers for assets such as Georgia Northwestern Technical College and the Floyd County College and Career Academy.
Hodge also touted the upcoming Rome Confluence 2013 conference, making particular reference to Amy Cortese’s presentation on local investing.
“You don’t necessarily have to go through the Securities and Exchange Commission to generate capital for business, along with the risks that enter into that,” Hodge said. “Typically the dollar-amounts are not as great, so the small investor can participate in ‘locavesting’ for local businesses, for start-ups and to help existing businesses expand. Think angel-investing on steroids.”
Confluence, formerly known as the Spectrum of Technology conference, will be Thursday and Friday at the DeSoto Theatre downtown.
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