NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – City leaders want to expand New Smyrna Beach’s tax base and bring in higher-paying jobs.
In November, residents will be able to vote if their city commission should be able to offer tax exemptions to bring in businesses and this time around, city leaders told News 6 they have their eyes on specific industries.
The tax exemption has been in place in New Smyrna since 2014 but for the city to keep offering it residents will have to vote it back this year.
The city said if voted back in, it would put a lot of effort into trying to cash in on the fast-growing aerospace industry booming just south in Cape Canaveral.
“Aviation, aerospace, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, technology, so the city is really focused on trying to diversify its tax and economic base,” said Christopher Edward, the city’s economic development director.
Edwards said the tax exemption helps them be more competitive with other communities but the city is working with its neighbors in Volusia County to bring these industries in.
“We have worked with Edgewater and Oak Hill on a southeast Volusia regional economic strategic plan with that aviation/aerospace focus,” he said.
There has been major interest shown before in the area. About nine years ago, Blue Origin was eyeing a property in Oak Hill for its rocket manufacturing plant. The company chose its location in Merritt Island and turned Volusia down after environmentalists argued the site in Oak Hill was too close to the Cape Canaveral National Seashore.
Edwards said the cities have since found other locations, though, for that kind of work and are ramping up efforts to bring it in.
“We feel there’s some opportunity for growth out that way, West of I-95 as well as our airport to encourage aviation, aerospace, as well as advanced manufacturing and high-tech type companies to our community,” Edwards said.
He said the city’s airport produces about $241 million in economic impact each year and that’s something he thinks they can expand on, especially if residents vote this tax exemption back in for another 10 years.
“One of the things about New Smyrna Beach is we are concerned about keeping our identity and our brand and one of those things is we have that small town charm, we want to keep that, we want to embrace that, but we also want to be strategic,” he said.
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