Substantial Transportation Funding Opportunities Blossoming

While this May has been cold, transportation funding opportunities are starting to heat up. The month of May brings with it funding opportunities for Ohio’s Transportation Improvement Districts (TIDs).  Ohio has 51 TIDs covering large areas of the state.  These intergovernmental agencies are designed to foster planning and cooperation among different counties and local governments […]

American Rescue Plan Act Supports Small Business and Targeted Industries

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provides substantial support for targeted industries including small businesses to help them recover from COVID 19.  It is no secret that the pandemic has disproportionately impacted small businesses across the country, particularly those owned and operated by women and minorities. Every community has had to face the unfortunate reality […]

American Rescue Plan Act: Once in a Generation Economic Development Opportunity

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) brings the total federal stimulus spending up to $6 T dollars with the addition of $1.9 T in ARPA. To paraphrase famous U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen from the 1960s, a trillion dollar here, a trillion dollars there, pretty soon you are starting to talk about real money.  In broad […]

Municipal Tax Issue Boiling to the Top as Remote Working Trend Grows

Moving to a community with more attractive tax rates is nothing new.  Elon Musk made the high-profile shift from California’s 13% state income and capital gains tax rates to the zero income and capital gains tax rates in taxes.  17 states permit municipalities to charge an income tax.  States generally decide who these municipalities can […]

Jobs Alliance Testifies in Support of Ohio Tax Abatement Reform

The Ohio Jobs Alliance Executive Director Nate Green testified in support of Ohio House Bill 123 that would provide the first substantive reform of Ohio’s tax abatement laws since 1994.  A region’s property tax rates can directly impact their ability to retain and attract industrial, logistics, data centers and other capital-intensive corporate site location projects […]

COVID-19 Economic Relief Promises Massive Funding Opportunities

Congress recently passed another round of economic relief to deal with the continued fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Biden Administration’s proposed package totaling $1.9 trillion cleared both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives bringing a slew of new dollars to everything from direct stimulus payments totaling $1400 for individuals making $75,000 and […]

U.S. House Announces Federal Budget Earmarks Return to Fund Community Projects

Majority Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives announced they plan to reinstitute the provision of legislative earmarks for the $1.4 T in federal discretionary spending through the federal budget.  But House Democrats detailing how the process will work in that chamber is just one piece of the puzzle. The Senate has yet to announce when […]