Smart move by the County as Fulton Avenue is shaping up as one of the best auto rows around and losing Daugherty Chevrolet would be a disaster, and yes, other dealers will want a piece of the public dollar.
A little personal history here; my father opened the first Volvo dealership on 1813 Fulton Avenue (right across from the then Town & Country Lincoln Mercury) in the 1950’s…remember those little humpbacked models?
Dealer may get paid to stay put
Fulton Ave. fixture would get $1 million from county coffers.
By Ed Fletcher - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Saturday, March 10, 2007
Mike Daugherty Chevrolet stands to collect $1 million from Sacramento County over the next 10 years, provided the business stays parked on Fulton Avenue.
The county would pay Daugherty $100,000 a year in cash so long as the dealership upgrades its facility and maintains or expands its 195-person work force, according to a staff proposal the Board of Supervisors will consider next week.
While local governments provide a variety of economic incentives, including tax relief and forgiven debts, to attract and retain businesses, it's less common that they offer money from general operating funds.
Paul Hahn, the county's director of economic development, said the county is protecting its business interests in the Fulton corridor -- and trying to ensure that a major tax generator doesn't disappear. In addition, the county has been reinvesting in the aging commercial corridor in an effort to stave off competition from newer suburban auto malls.
"We feel that the agreement is in the best interest of the county, Fulton Avenue and Arden Arcade," Hahn said. "This is about reinvesting in Fulton Avenue, reinvesting in the unincorporated area and protecting our tax base."
Daugherty said Friday the offer "is good for everybody involved."
