The Columbus Dispatch recently reported the state Controlling Board's approval of approximately $15 million in funding for JobsOhio's regional partners.
At last month's Ohio Third Frontier Advisory Board and Commission meeting, the commission voted to award a one year grant, totaling $14.85 million, to implement and support six regional economic development organizations, now known as the JobsOhio Network, in taking a more significant role in job attraction and retention efforts throughout the state.
Organizations in the network will work with businesses in their respective regions on behalf of JobsOhio to expand the tax base, as well as execute attraction efforts to bring new businesses to the state. JobsOhio is a nonprofit economic development organization the state created to take on many economic development duties traditionally assigned to the Ohio Department of Development.
State officials told The Columbus Dispatch they based their funding decisions on activity in each region including the number of significant business-attraction or expansion projects, as measured by Site Selection magazine. Team Northeast Ohio was the highest award recipient of the six groups involved, receiving $4.15 million. The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber received $2.63 million, Columbus2020 received $2.26 million, Toledo’s Regional Growth Partnership received $2.12 million, the Dayton Development Coalition Inc. received $2.03 million, and the Appalachian Business Council received $1.66 million.
