EZDA officials make their case for budget dollars

By Rick Burnham

Editor

The program that helped regenerate Campbell’s Seafood in Bronson – one that has poured more than $50,000 in sales tax refunds back to Levy County County businesses over the past 18 months – is more than likely safe from the deep budget cuts being applied across programs and services in 2008, a county commissioner told members of the Chiefland Rotary Club July 16.

Tony Parker was joined by Skipper Henderson, chairman of the board of the Levy County Enterprise Zone Development Agency, and Pam Blair, zone coordinator and executive director of LCEZDA at the meeting.

“I think EZDA is one of the last things the board would be willing to cut,” Parker said. “All the board members really support it. We are definitely going through some hard decisions in cutting, but I think that, with our economy and what this brings to our county, giving incentives to other businesses to come in that we need for jobs, I don’t see it being cut.”

The Levy EZDA is one of 26 statewide, and began operations locally in January 2007. It covers roughly 15 square miles throughout the county, with designated areas in Chiefland, Williston, Bronson, and parts of Fanning Springs. The organization needs the support of those municipalities, along with the Board of County Commissioners, because it works on a government budget. They have asked the county for $13,166.64 in 2008, down from $15,366 a year ago.

“The EZDA knows it is a tight budget year for everyone,” Blair said. “The EZDA is the only incentive program within the county. If we want to increase our tax base, we have to attract businesses.”

Blair pointed out that, with the new Tri-County Hospital on the horizon, the program becomes even more important.

“The EZDA is very attractive to the Tri-County Hospital,” she said. “It will allow the hospital to take advantage of millions of dollars of incentives. But you don't have to spend millions to get money back. Any size business can get money back as long as you are located within the zone and spend the required amounts to get the sales tax back from the State of Florida.”

Blair pointed out that the EZDA not only attracts businesses and growth to the area, but it does so while not affecting Levy County’s portion of the sales tax.

Among the businesses that have taken advantage of the EZDA in Levy County are Little Caesar’s Pizza, Scoggins Chevrolet and Elite Properties Management Group. Campbell’s Seafood was the first business to take advantage of the program in Bronson.