By Mike Sunnucks | Rose Law Group Reporter
The city of Goodyear is considering a big increase in its economic development efforts.
Goodyear’s proposed fiscal year 2020 budget includes a 166 percent in funding for the city’s Economic Development Department.
The budget plan puts just under $3.14 million towards the West Valley city’s economic development and business attraction efforts.
That is up from its current budget of close to $1.18 million. Two years ago, Goodyear’s Economic Development Department had a budget of $938,811.
The department currently has six employees. The new budget would add a project manager and research specialist. The extra funding would also be used for new and expanded marketing campaigns, to host more events aimed at technology and small businesses and to buy a new ‘customer resource management system’, according to city budget documents.
Goodyear is landing Microsoft data center operations, a $200 million new Fairlife LLC milk plant and distribution center and a $105 million Andersen Corp. window and door manufacturing plant.
The Goodyear City Council is scheduled to give final approval to the increases as part of a $514 million new city budget on June 10.
Part of the Economic Development Department’s budget increase stems from the city of Goodyear adoption of new finance and accounting systems that shifts money that was used to attract businesses but was not directly in the department’s budget.
The business attraction fund would be put directly under the Economic Development Department’s budget. That accounts for part of the funding increase.
