Tax Increment Assistance for Employment Growth

An incentive to encourage higher wage jobs through an annual tax reimbursement.

Overhead shot of Bend's Core Area looking northeast. Roads, commerical buildings, sidewalks, cars. Pilot Butte is in the mid-ground, partly cloudy skies.

The Tax Increment Assistance for Employment Growth (TIA-EMP) may provide eligible businesses with assistance for the Bend Urban Renewal Agency (BURA)’s portion of taxes on the increased assessed value from structural improvements. Projects must commit to and annually certify the creation and maintenance of at least five new full-time employment opportunities with an average salary of $72,000 for the duration of the assistance.

Incentive Information

For projects that meet the minimum requirements listed above and below, BURA may award an amount equivalent to twelve (12) years of annual tax reimbursements of BURA’s portion of new taxes generated from new development. This may include payment for City of Bend development fees or a combination of both.

  1. Eligible Business: Eligible businesses include headquarters operations and/or headquarter-type facilities, manufacturing and suppliers, warehouse & distribution, fabrication, research & development (R&D), and other employers engaging in business-to-business or intrafirm distribution.
  2. New Employment: At least five (5) new full-time employment positions must be created and filled for the duration of the assistance. Full-time employment (FTE) is defined as an employment position with paid work responsibilities to the employer for forty (40) hours a week (ORS 471.030.022).
  3. Average Annual Wage: The average annual wage of $72,000 for the five (5) new full-time employment positions must be maintained for the duration of the assistance. The average annual wage is calculated as the total annual wages of the positions created divided by the number of positions.
  4. Childcare Facilities: Childcare facilities (as defined by the Bend Development Code, Chapter 1.2) with improvements that meet the minimum taxable value increase may be eligible for assistance at BURA’s sole discretion, even if they are unable to meet the criteria outlined in (1), (2), and (3). Eligible projects could include, but are not limited to, the portion of a new development creating new childcare facilities or a standalone childcare facility.

For further guidelines and application instructions:
refer to the Documents and Resources section below.

Documents & Resources

Contacts