Pittsfield, Mass. - Ward 3 City Council candidate Melissa Mazzeo today announced her support for recently filed state legislation that would provide economic development assistance to Massachusetts Gateway cities such as Pittsfield. The proposal filed in the state senate would enhance economic development in local communities through a targeted and expanded tax credit program.
The legislation includes: Expanding the historic tax credit program design to help restore and reuse historic buildings; to provide a new job creation tax credit to assist in creating new jobs in Gateway cities.
Create a new Gateway housing credit to bring new market rate housing to Gateway cities; to create a new Gateway city home ownership rehabilitation tax credit to help homeowners improve existing housing and to expand the economic opportunity area tax credit for property owners on buildings leased to certified projects in a Gateway city.
“This is a great step forward to assisting cities like Pittsfield to confront the current and future economic development challenges we will face. I urge both our state legislative delegation and our Mayor and the City Council to give its united support for this important economic development legislation,” stated Mazzeo.
Communities like Pittsfield were chosen for this legislation by fitting the following criteria including populations of more that 35,000, median household income below the state average, per capital income below the state average and percentage of population with higher education degrees below the state average.
“In order to move Pittsfield forward, we need to develop an economic development plan that takes advantage of legislation such as the Gateway City program and combines that with an aggressive action plan for the PEDA site and other local projects so we can attract new business and create good paying jobs right here in Pittsfield,” said Mazzeo.
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