Staff proposes changes to incentives policy—adds 'innovation' category, lowers thresholds; council requests clarification on retail and small‑business support

Economic Development Director Tiffany McNeil presented a refined draft incentives policy to council April 28 intended to keep Morrisville competitive while adding stronger safeguards and clearer performance metrics. Key staff proposals included:

• A new "innovation" project category for target industries such as technology and life sciences with a $2 million minimum investment and requirement for at least 20 full‑time jobs;
• Reduced minimums for existing‑industry reinvestment ($3 million) and new projects or corporate headquarters ($5 million);
• Maintaining a maximum town incentive of 1% of new taxable investment (1.5% for corporate headquarters) to be paid as fixed annual installments over eight years;
• New safeguards tying annual payments to the lesser of the fixed installment or the ad valorem tax revenue actually attributable to the project that year, and verification requirements for jobs and wage thresholds (Wake County average wage is currently $80,616).

McNeil said the revisions aim to provide fiscal predictability for the town while aligning incentives with the town’s 2023 economic development strategy and Wake County wage standards. Council members asked questions about whether retail and warehouse/distribution projects should be eligible, how to support small businesses and whether the town should consider worker‑co‑op or other structures that deliver higher wages for local jobs. Council also asked staff to coordinate with Wake County and the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (for other programs) to clarify how town incentives interact with county and state packages.

Staff recommended returning the draft for a public hearing and potential adoption at the May 12 meeting; council indicated general support for continuing the discussion and asked staff to provide additional examples and clarifications before the May 12 hearing.