(photo credit: Ron Reiring)
If you’re a numbers person, I’ve got a few to throw at you.
Four point eight percent. Nine point five percent. Twelve point five percent. Eleven point eight percent. At first glance, those digits, from the California Employment Development Department, don’t seem significant and may have no rhyme or reason to them. But, those numbers are quite significant and tell a big story–California’s economic recovery continues to be uneven from the coast to inland areas.
- San Francisco-4.8%
- San Diego-9.5%
- Fresno-12.5%
- San Bernardino-11.8%
Right now, California’s unemployment rate is 8.3 percent.
The city of Fresno, smack dab in the middle of the Golden State, knows it has a lot of work to do to get things going.
Here’s just one idea to help spark job creation: city leaders recently announced plans to implement a new policy which will reduce citywide development impact fees for new industrial development projects. The hope is these projects will create jobs and stimulate economic development in the City.
“Creating jobs is the most important issue we face in Fresno. We have to make it easier for industrial businesses to expand and locate here. This incentive is an important part of what the city can do to create jobs,” said Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin.
“This is a step in the right direction to ensure our local businesses are not only competitive in a world market, but can increase their capacity to add good paying jobs and economic development to our city and region,” said Council member Sal Quintero.
New industrial development has many benefits including generating additional property tax revenue for the city as a result of increased assessed property values created by the build out of industrial sites.
The reduction of impact fees will last for a 12-month period and allows the City Manager to reduce the citywide impact fees for new development where public infrastructure to support industrial uses exists now.
“Other cities are offering impact fee waiver programs in order to draw growth and revenue into their communities,” said City Manager Bruce Rudd. “This policy positions Fresno to be an equally attractive competitor for recruiting industrial development to our city.”
