Incentives
In the first ten years, your business can enjoy accelerated depreciation allowances on your federal tax return. The Omnibus Reconciliation act of 1993 allows employers in Indian Country to accelerate rates of depreciation on capitalized buildings and equipment. (See Table 1 below) The same law provides a twenty percent credit against the employer's tax liability for the first $20,000 of qualified wages and health insurance benefits paid to certain tribal member employees. Land lease is a deductible operating expense. Prompt professional development process (one stop shop)
Lease Agreements
While federal law prohibits the sale or mortgage of reservation land because it is held in federal trust for each tribe, Gila River Indian Community can create long-term lease agreements. These agreements not only present the term of occupancy, but also clearly define the requirements governing the relationship between the Community's government and the business. Under certain circumstances, these may include methods to eliminate or reduce state property taxes.
Labor Force
Gila River points with pride to the number of Community members seeking higher education and degrees. Prior to gaming revenues, which started in1994, scholarships and incentives were available in the Community for only about dozen or so members. Today, over 600 community members are enrolled in advanced education. This can provide partnerships with businesses looking for employees who want to learn new disciplines and enhance job skills.
Additionally, Gila River has its own employment and training office, which includes funding availability from JTPA, school to work and welfare to work programs. Currently, the gaming scholarship program also provides for internships to those attending colleges, universities and trade schools, to allow them to work in the Community and keep their training available within the Community. Plans are being developed to expand the internship program to private businesses within the Community boundaries.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure has always been an expensive issue for development. In the past, infrastructure installed was not designed for growth, and the amount of dollars necessary was inadequate, in order to position the Community in its growth. Today, in what we refer to as the North Central Corridor or The Borderlands, several million dollars worth of new infrastructure is now in place for future development.
This new infrastructure is the result of sound planning and unique financing options. It includes advancing dollars to the State of Arizona to accelerate construction of a new Interstate 10 access to the Community. New dependable electric power is on line to meet today's high tech demands. A tribally owned telecommunications company continues to install fiber optics lines for today's telecommunications needs. New and larger sewer lines and wastewater treatment plants are under construction. Over a million gallons of overhead water storage capacity is on-line to a looped system in the last five years. Natural gas is available.
Public Safety
Further, safety issues are adequately being addressed within the Community. Instead of a small one-location volunteer fire department, the Community now has three fire stations with new state of the art fire fighting equipment staffed by the first graduating class of Native American firefighters in America. The police department has tripled in size, with trained certified law enforcement officers and state of the art equipment. These enhancements also include a new quick-response emergency medical service around the clock.
Transportation
Another key to a new business's success is transportation availability. Our new development area is easily accessible from Interstate 10, and the soon to be constructed San Tan Freeway. A new overpass transition is scheduled by the Arizona Department of Transportation to be completed by 2001, providing additional access. Sky Harbor International Airport is less than fifteen minutes away and a general aviation airport is within five miles. Rail is nearby in the Community's Lone Butte Industrial Park. The Interstate and regional freeway and roads system provide easy and quick access to the metro area distribution centers as well as overnight delivery from Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and other southwest distribution centers. To the south lies Pinal County, an important emerging new market.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|