In an effort to woo Amazon HQ2, private Chamber of Commerce affiliates and local economic development groups have offered tax credits and other unknown benefits to Amazon. City council members often have no knowledge of the specifics of these deal packages, even though they would need to approve them if Amazon selects their city’s bid.
Jared Evans is a member of of the Indianapolis City-County Council, and though Indianapolis is among the 20 finalists to be the home of HQ2, he said he has no knowledge of his city’s bid.
“What have I been told? Absolutely nothing,” Mr. Evans told The New York Times. “The only time the public may become aware if the city has promised Amazon incentives is if we win, and then we need to get those incentives passed.”
Amazon’s investment in the community it chooses will be significant, but taxpayers will ultimately have to shoulder the burden of funding their city’s incentive package. Though local business people say this lack of transparency is necessary to maintain a competitive advantage, local lawmakers do not always see it that way.
“Typically, you see companies bid a couple of places against each other as they try to land a corporate deal,” said Brad Lander, a member of the New York City Council. “This process is highly unusual. It creates a real race-to-the-bottom aspect with the potential of companies bidding multiple cities against one another.”
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