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Question #10 <br />City Manager's Office <br />MEMORANDUM <br />Date: April 7, 2005 <br />To: Mayor Piercy and City Council <br />From: Dennis M. Taylor, City Manager <br />Subject:- Business Facilitator/Ombudsman Funding Options <br />City of Eugene <br />777 Pearl Street, Room 105 <br />Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793 <br />(541)682-5010 <br />(541) 682-5414 FAX <br />(541)682-5045 <br />www.ci.eugene.or.us <br />On August 9, 2004, four primary recommendations of the Mayor's Committee on Economic <br />Development were presented to the City Council. The council accepted'the report by a vote of 7-0. <br />Motions related to specific recommendations were postponed with a request that additional work sessions <br />be scheduled to further examine the specific issues. <br />One of the recommendations of the committee in support of business facilitator position follows: <br />• The City Council and Budget Committee should fund a facilitator to assist businesses with expansion, <br />coordinate multi-agency review of development permits, and assist in developing methods and policies to <br />help streamlixle the permitting process. <br />A work session regarding the Economic Development Committee recommendations was held on <br />November 10, 2004, to review issues related to the recommendation specific to a business facilitator <br />function. At this work session, council directed staff to provide funding alternatives prior to the draft <br />budget process. 'The cost associated with funding a business facilitator has been estimated at $80,000- <br />$100,000. This memo is intended to identify the broad range of alternatives that could be considered as a <br />funding mechanism for this position. <br />BUSINESS FACILITATOR FUNDING OPTIONS <br />in 2001 and2002, the City Council held a series of work sessions reviewing non-property tax revenue <br />sources. A broad range of sources were identified in these discussions. A few of these could be <br />considered as an appropriate source for funding a potential business facilitator position. <br />• Business License/Regulatory Fee/Tax <br />• Corporate Income Tax <br />• Gross Receipts Tax <br />• Payroll Tax <br />• Personal Income Tax or Surcharge <br />Given the fact that the estimated cost of this position is between $80,000-$100,000, the initiation of a new <br />funding mechanism of this type would not seem appropriate. For this reason, I would recommend <br />considering using existing funding sources. It is anticipated that a business facilitator would assist the <br />13 <br />