TEAM: Average wage rate to drop

At the recommendation of TEAM Santa Rosa Executive Director Cindy Anderson, the board of county commissioners approved lowering the average wage rate requirement for companies considering relocating to Santa Rosa County.

TEAM Santa Rosa is presently attempting to bring six companies to the area would net a total of 2,360 jobs. However, the average wages for these companies is $10-$12 an hour, down from the required average wage rate of $14.69 an hour to receive cash from the county.

In order to qualify under the county's "Super QTI" –Super-Qualified Targeted Incentive programs – a company must provide a minimum wage of $14.69. Given the state of the present economy, the commissioners agreed to lower the average wage rate on a case-by-case basis for the six companies.

"If a company comes in and it has so many jobs and an average wage rate if 115 percent and above our county average, the county would actually use part of its electric franchise fee to fund them per job at the end of the year," Anderson said.

For more on this story, see the Nov. 3 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.