TU: PolitiJax: Council committees endorse $2 million incentive for Winn-Dixie (Bill #2012-200)

[Patricia M. McBride]

I am not sure how to feel about this as these incentives have replaced property tax breaks and other incentives that used to be used............somehow, I never really thought about using incentives all that much until we began to see the actual price tag in tax dollars coming out of our pockets.  And now, it is major.  You thoughts?

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Two Jacksonville City Council panels endorsed a $2 million  incentives package Tuesday to grow Winn-Dixie's Jacksonville headquarters as the  company is absorbed by supermarket chain Bi-Lo.

The deal would keep more than 800 existing jobs in place and is expected to  add 100 extra positions.

"This is a wonderful success for you all and a wonderful event for  Jacksonville," Councilwoman Lori Boyer told Joe Whitaker, a staffer for the  former Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, as he explained the  deal.

The core of the incentives package is a grant agreement to help the company  recover some of the taxes it will pay on technology improvements.

Bi-Lo expects to spend about $80 million on information technology updates so  stores that were part of two chains can communicate effectively, Whitaker told  Finance members.

The full council could vote next week on the incentives deal (2012-200).

Read more at Jacksonville.com:  http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-04-18/story/politijax-cou...

 

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Read more at Jacksonville.com:  http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-04-18/story/politijax-cou...