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Kalahari Resort and Waterpark, such as the one in Wisconsin (above), is a popular tourist attraction. A park is proposed for Fredericksburg, to be located in Celebrate Virginia.
FILE/SARAH B. TEWS/Wisconsin State Journal
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FILE/SARAH B. TEWS/Wisconsin State Journal
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We must invest in order to reap dividends
Date published: 1/15/2008
TODAY, 15,000 com- munities in America are aggressively engaged in activities to promote economic development. All over America, people are in pursuit of a better quality of life, for themselves and for their most important asset, their children.
Mayor Tomzak, members of City Council, and the city manager and his staff are to be commended on their efforts and hard work to attract the Kalahari Resort and Conference Center--developers of the largest indoor water park in America--to the city of Fredericksburg. The company has a proven track record of success while being a great corporate citizen. Congratulations on landing this $200 million project in the face of strong competition from other historic cities in what was a multistate search. This is an outstanding accomplishment for the city of Fredericksburg and the region!
The use of incentives in attracting large corporate development has become a major part of doing business domestically and globally, and is the "norm" in corporate recruitment. CEOs today are looking for the best location to expand or relocate their businesses. They are intensely interested in reducing costs, and asking for incentives is one way to achieve that goal.
Communities are often left with one decision: Do we wish to compete for a project that will increase the tax base, create many new jobs, and provide much-needed revenue for necessary government services? The issue is one of competitiveness, on global terms. When a corporate decision is ready to be made, if one community chooses not to act, another community will.
In terms of incentives, the ones offered in our region are rather conservative in comparison to what other communities in the global marketplace offer. Economic models show financial support to businesses will be paid back in the future in the form of increased employment, an increased tax base, and public revenue for services that support education, police, and fire and rescue, while shifting some of the tax burden from the homeowner. In the case of Kalahari, there will be approximately $64 million in new revenue over 20 years.
Date published: 1/15/2008
Most recent reader comments:
Fact Check for To Tamerlane and the Badly Misinformed
(posted by
DidYouKnow
, Jan. 16, 2008 1:08 pm)
According to the Virginia Employment Comm. The City of Fredericksburg has 675 companies employing over 9,500 people whose Avg. Salary is $54,000 year or 23% higher than Virginia's Avg. Income. These firms represent nearly 40% of ALL industry within the City and employ over 35% of it's workers. Not too bad for a place full of "nothing" but "retail", "Service" and "low paying" jobs, Might want to understand the truth before you speak next time. Kalahari will add to a well diversified and vibrant economy.
"great corporate citizen"
(posted by
schrodinger
, Jan. 15, 2008 5:16 pm)
Kalahari may be a great corporation. After all, they’ve found a
way to make an extra $60M for themselves over the next 20
years. But don’t call them a great citizen. Great citizens pay
their fair share of taxes to the community.
Superior article, too advanced for all to understand
(posted by
realitystory
, Jan. 15, 2008 11:08 am)
Lackabrain, guess what: tourism campuses do not employ retired military programmers and analysts. You're barking up the wrong tree like a blind dog. On the table now is an incentive for tourism business. You hate tourists too? Explain what kind of jobs are needed to host tourists. Will the aerospace engineer check me into my room? Will the rocket scientist clean my hotel room or wait my table? Try harder to think. Go promote new office jobs on property not planned for tourism business or zip it.
FRA supports bottom-feeding, Again
(posted by
Tamerlane
, Jan. 15, 2008 8:06 am)
What we have in abundance is a very highly educated workforce. Instead of marketing the thousands of trained and motivated retired military, programmers, analysts, engineers... FRA goes verklempt over some tawdry service jobs. Liken yourself to the lowly, bottom feeding carp, and I hope that no one in FRA is acutually PIAD for the poor service they do for the local community. You are all vulunteers, right? If not, I want one of those cushy sineucre bureaucrat jobs too!
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