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Mayors consider ‘no poaching’ pact to lessen job losses

Central City Donut phenomena causes problems

BUSINESS RETENTION
Mayors consider ‘no poaching’ pact to lessen job losses
Friday, March 12, 2004
Mark Ferenchik
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Mayors of communities in the Cleveland area are tired of stealing companies and jobs from one another — suburb from city, suburb from suburb.

They want to forge a formal agreement that says "no more." They would work together for the economic development of the region.

Some leaders in Franklin County say they’d support such a move.

Hilliard Mayor Don Schonhardt thinks communities should "eliminate this practice of purporting to attract economic development by simply moving (companies) from Westerville or Reynoldsburg."

"Nobody really wins as a result," he said.

But Dublin City Manager Jane Brautigam said companies have to be free to decide where they want to go.

"I would like to see what Cleveland comes up with before we do it here," Brautigam said.

Last week, health-insurance provider Coresource Inc. announced it will move its headquarters and 114 jobs from Westerville to Dublin. The Dublin City Council approved a deal that would pay Coresource $87,000 if its payroll taxes are more than $600,000 after five years.

On the flip side, Plante & Moran PLLC wanted to combine its Dublin and Lancaster accounting offices in downtown Columbus to be closer to banks and law firms. It didn’t hurt that Columbus offers incentives that will pay Plante & Moran 50 percent of the payroll taxes its employees pay, about $275,000 over five years. The Columbus City Council approved that deal in February.

Sadlicka White, Gahanna’s development director, said a formal "no poaching" agreement is something Franklin County communities should discuss. And Bill Habig, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, said, "The governments really need to start thinking as a team to compete with other regions."

For the complete story click the link below:

Business Retention Article

The Columbus Dispatch