Forest Grove/Cornelius Enterprise Zone

As part of the Forest Grove/Cornelius Enterprise Zone, the City of Cornelius offers a property tax abatement program that provides a property tax exemption for industrial businesses and certain hotel/motel facilities that make a minimum of $50,000 of new investments in real property and/or equipment and create new jobs.

Nearly all General Industrial (M-1) zoned properties inside the City of Cornelius are eligible, as well as many properties under the Core Commercial Employment (CE) zone.

How it Works

In exchange for locating or expanding into an enterprise zone, eligible (generally non-retail) business firms receive total exemption from the property taxes normally assessed on new plant and equipment for at least three years, but possibly up to five. 

Eligible Businesses

Eligible businesses must produce, sell, or provide goods, commodities, products, merchandise, work, or services to other businesses or business operations. This includes conventional manufacturing, as well as assembly, fabrication, processing, shipping or storage, warehouse, distribution, bulk clerical processing, printing or mass document production, after-sale technical support, and maintenance facilities. Industrial processes such as cleaning, coating, curing, kiting, labeling, laminating, packaging, refining, smelting, sorting or treating are eligible, as is development of standardized computer software products. Call centers in which no more than 10% of the customers or business transactions come from inside the local calling area, in which the telephone calls are made without long distance charges can be eligible if they meet certain additional requirements. 

Hotels and Motels including associated property of ancillary operations are eligible under the motel/hotel option if used 50 percent or more by overnight guests.

Qualified Property

• Minimum $50,000 investment.
• Real property such as newly constructed buildings or structures.
• New additions or modifications to existing building/structure.
• Heavy/affixed machinery and equipment.
• Machinery and equipment classified as personal property (readily movable) $50,000 or more.

Not eligible: land, non-inventory supplies, rolling stock, vehicles, motor-propelled devices, and certain minor personal property items.

Program Options

3-Year Enterprise Zone Tax Exemption

• Invest at least $50,000 in new plant or equipment.
• Increase full time permanent employment by the greater of 1 person or 10% of existing employment base.
• Pay the new employees an average of 150% of minimum wage (2017: $16.88 per hour). Most benefits can be used to meet this total compensation level.
• Maintain increased employment level over 3 years.
• Enter into a First Source Hiring Agreement with local job training providers. Commits company to consider local applicants for new hires.
• Complete intake application and pay $200 fee before proceeding with investment.

5-Year Enterprise Zone Tax Exemption

• Invest at least $50,000 in new plant or equipment.
• Increase full time permanent employment by 10% of existing employment base.
• Pay the new employees an average of 100% of average Washington County yearly wage (2015: $65,615). Most benefits can be used to meet this total compensation level.
• Maintain increased employment level and wage over 5 years.
• Enter into a First Source Hiring Agreement with local job training providers. Commits company to consider local applicants for new hires.
• Complete intake application and pay $200 fee before proceeding with investment.