Jacksonville’s newest economic-development proposal would make veteran hiring part of the bargain when companies seek a city-backed tax break. The Stand for Service Act is not a blanket hiring mandate for every business, but it could change how some incentive deals are evaluated — and put a number on the city’s promise to be military-friendly.
Filed by City Council President Nick Howland, the measure would require companies receiving a Recapture Enhanced Value grant to make a good-faith effort to fill at least 10% of new jobs with qualified veterans or spouses of active-duty military members, according to Action News Jax. The bill would also put the city’s Office of Economic Development in charge of overseeing compliance.
What Jacksonville’s Bill Would Change
The filed City Council ordinance was introduced July 28 and referred to the Rules, Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety, Transportation, Energy and Utilities, and Finance committees. A public hearing is scheduled for August 11, and the measure has 13 listed sponsors — more than half of the council’s 19 members.
The important phrase is “good-faith effort,” which does not read like a hard 10% hiring quota. Instead, the proposal would attach the hiring expectation to companies seeking the city’s REV grant, rather than impose the rule on every employer operating in Jacksonville.
The Proposal Targets A Specific City Incentive
Jacksonville’s public investment policy describes a Recapture Enhanced Value grant as a way to encourage private investment by returning a portion of new property-tax revenue generated by an eligible project. The program generally weighs factors such as job creation, wages and capital investment, and payments are made after a project creates taxable value and the taxes are paid…