Gastonia Eliminates Wage Requirement in Business Incentive Program*

Changes made to Gastonia’s Business Incentive Program are likely to attract more businesses to the area. Previously, city incentives were only available to those businesses who agreed to pay their employees a certain minimum wage. The calculation of this minimum wage benchmark was tied to Gaston County’s median hourly wage of $16.33 and North Carolina’s minimum wage of $7.25. These changes also help to bring the city’s inducements more in line with those offered by Gaston County.

It seems City Council members have now for some time sought to eliminate this wage requirement. In February of this year the Council approved an incentive package for a metal working company that eliminated the wage requirement. This company plans to bring as many as 110 new jobs to Gastonia.

City Council members made these changes with jobs in mind. “The bottom line is we want to make sure our people get jobs, someway, somehow,” said Councilwoman Brenda Craig, during a previous discussion on the issue.

The city’s changes have also removed requirements that dealt with specific job creation, as well as a benefit tied to construction that met Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards.

These recent changes represent only a few of the many advantages offered by Gastonia to businesses located in the area. To learn more about Gastonia’s economic development incentives click here.

(c) Picture:  Gaston County

*Author:  Lindsey Ogden - a North Carolina native from Campbell Law School who currently interns at BridgehouseLaw Charlotte.