Local Incentives
Phillips County Economic Development is committed to our local small businesses. Listed below are local incentives and progams designed to help our small businesses succeed in our rural communities.
- Phillips County Neighborhood Revitalization Plan – Property Tax Rebate Program: One of the primary reasons for the Phillips County Neighborhood Revitalization Plan (NRP) is to encourage growth for our businesses and communities through improvements. It has been proven in many counties which have long standing, revitalization plan, that such a plan; 1) increases potential for existing businesses to want to grow, 2) increases potential for new business creation, 3) increases the potential for new housing development, and 4) provides better opportunity for new residents to purchase these new homes utilizing the plan (faster turnover with home purchase). The Phillips County NRP is simply a property tax rebate program. It is county-wide and includes those taxing districts that have chosen to become a part of it. This program DOES NOT allow any CURRENT paid (established) property taxes from being paid by property owners; so, there is not any loss of current revenues. It is designed to provide a ‘percentage’ of their taxes to be rebated ONLY on NEW IMPROVEMENTS made on properties. This rebate program will be for future property improvements. To qualify an improvement MUST be over $10,000 dollars in appraised value. A rebate cap of a $150,000 appraised value dollars will be placed on housing, with the exception to be made on multi-family dwelling construction projects. A qualified applicant for the rebate program will only get the tax rebate after paying in that year’s full taxes on the improvement. The qualified applicant also must be current on ALL taxes to be involved with the program. The NRP outline provides for needed update to be performed on the program by the commissioners if needed, such as an amendment to the program. Those property owners which are considering doing any improvement of an appraised value of $10,000 dollars or more; should contact the Assessors office on the second floor of the courthouse for an application. Remember this is NOT an abatement of taxes, so your taxes on an improvement need to be paid, THEN a rebate of a proportion of it is returned.
- Rural Opportunity Zone: Gov. Sam Brownback signed into law the Rural Opportunity Zones (ROZs) program. ROZs are designed to reverse dramatic population declines over the past decade in rural areas of Kansas. Phillips County is designated as a ROZ county.
The program has two main incentives:
–A state income tax exemption for up to five years to individuals who move to a ROZs county from outside the state. Individuals must not have lived in Kansas for the past five years, nor have Kansas source income of more than $10,000 per year over the past five years.
–Student loan forgiveness of up to $3,000 per year ($15,000 maximum benefit) for individuals who graduate from an accredited post-secondary institution and move to a ROZs county. The student loan forgiveness portion of the program is a county-state partnership, and counties must opt in to participate. Phillips County became an opt-in ROZ county as of September 5, 2011. The Phillips County Commissioners hereby obligate Phillips County to participate in the student loan repayment program as provided by Section 3 of Senate Bill No. 198 for a period of five (5) years, which shall be irrevocable. Phillips County shall allocate (budget) up to $75,000 (for the accumulated 5-year term of the program – 2012 through 2016) for the purpose of matching payments from the State of Kansas to qualified individuals. The figure equates to potential of a minimum of ten (10) new residents qualifying for this program during this five (5) year time frame at the current budget amount.
- Phillips County Revolving Loan fund (for manufacturing businesses): This fund is available to manufacturing businesses either expanding or developing in the Phillips County area. The initial interview process is done through the PCED committee with the appropriate paperwork completed and reviewed. A recommendation is given to the Phillips County Commissioners and they make the determination as to the authorization and amount of loan funds provided for the project upon the applicant meeting with the commissioners.
- Special Request Program (SRP): The SRP is broader supportive ‘grant’ program which can help both For-Profit businesses OR Not-for-Profit organizations. Although this program is broader in scope, getting support approved through this program is more difficult due to harder ‘grading’ evaluations for applicants.
- The Entrepreneur – Business Enhancement Program (EBEP): The purpose of the Entrepreneur – Business Enhancement Program (EBEP) is to encourage growth and expansion for entrepreneurial businesses in Phillips County. These businesses should be currently in operation or in the process of being created and/or developed within the county. By financially assisting businesses through a cost-share program such as the (EBEP), these businesses could reduce the initial start-up burden of fixed costs that are usually incurred during the creation, enhancement, or expansion of a business. This program is geared ONLY for For-profit businesses that need financial ‘grant’ assistance for business start-up, succession purposes, or expansion. Procedures must be followed in this program booklet. There is a simple guideline in the booklet that shows how to submit a ‘letter of request’ to the PCED board. The latest addition for an applicant is a quick summary form with ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions which is also outlined in the booklet. Any business which is approved for EBEP funding at or above $5,000 dollars will be required to sign an additional Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – which is outlined in the booklet as well.
- Partner Program-Destination University: Membership Discounted Cost: Destination University is a membership-only program designed exclusively for independent business owners to help them grow their businesses, while increasing their sales, profits, and customer traffic. Destination Universitywas originally created to highlight Jon Schallert’s proprietary Destination Business processes.
Members of Destination University will benefit from and have access to:- Online training library of webinars covering many topics presented by Jon Schallert and business experts in various fields
- Monthly live webinars presented on a different topic each month by Jon Schallert or one of our other Business Experts
- An interactive social networking area where business owners can communicate with other owners and resources from around the world
- Email access to all of our Business Experts to ask a question directly to any of them
- A business resource area with companies and services that can help grow a businessPhillips County Destination Universtiy Form
- The Grant-Writer Assistance Program (GAP): The purpose for this program is to assist non-profit groups across the county that may be looking to hire a professional grantwriter to assist with a community development project. Grant writers traditional charge upfront for acquiring their services. Organizations can apply for GAP assistance ‘grant’ monies to help pay for pre-authorized grantwriters (up-front fees) for up to $500 dollars, to help defray the organizational costs for such services. GAP assistance cannot be used to hire a grantwriter that would write a grant proposal to any local foundations. Complete application and deliver to PCED office before monthly deadlines.
- Youth EntrepreneurShip (YES) Program: Provides entrepreneurial education, mentoring encouragement, vocational & apprenticeship training, and incentives to seed business start-up for Phillips County students, grades K-12.
- Student Credit Incentive Program (SCI): The SCI is a cash incentive available to any newly recruited or developed business. This incentive focuses economic development around local schools, school growth, you, youth retention and building a long-term sustainable relationship between the applicant business and the community. Qualifications to this program are unique.
- Phillips County E-Community Fund: A NetWork Kansas Entrepreneurship Community has made a commitment to cultivating an entrepreneurial environment by identifying and developing resources to help local entrepreneurs start or grow businesses. An E-Community has a locally-controlled loan fund to assist entrepreneurs with capital and connectivity to resources to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses. The application for an e-community loan is available through the PCED office. Phillips County E-Community Contact: Phillips County Economic Development – Jeff Hofaker at 785.543.5809 or pced@ruraltel.net
With the designation of Philllips County becoming an E-Community in 2010 by Network Kansas, a special fund was created for the development of entrepreneurial businesses (first and foremost) and to assist with small community projects. The monies in this fund are acquired by the selling of Kansas Income Tax Credits by the PC E-community Leadership Team to individuals and businesses across the state of Kansas. This fund’s collected monies are used as a revolving loan fund for entrepreneurs when a local Network Kansas partner (Discover Phillipsburg Main Street and/or Phillips County Economic Development gives matching funds to a development project and applicant wants to apply. From time to time, monies from the fund, can be used for community development projects in a form of a grant, when adequate funds are available. This program is in its preliminary kick-off stages and estimated to officially open January 2011. Until opened and even after, the Start-up Kansas Loan Fund through Network Kansas is still available to entrepreneurial businesses, but the loan usage is competitive state-wide.
- Job Opening (opportunities) placed on website: This is a service to our local businesses in Phillips county. If you have job openings and are looking for assistance in locating workforce, the PCED will put the job position information on our jobs tab section within the PCED website as a free service for your business (if located in the county). We will also place the same information on the western Kansas Jobs website as a free service. This is not only a great way to bring awareness to those job openings, but a fantastic way to recruit new families into the area to fill those jobs and increase the use of your business.
Local Incentive Document : This document highlights PCED’s commitment to helping our local businesses with gaining workforce, financial and technical assistance.