Good news for many businesses in Merced County California! The Merced County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday, April 13, to expand the Merced County Regional Enterprise Zone by approximately 1,877 acres.
California’s Enterprise Zones Hiring Credit program routinely provides $12,000 or more in state income tax credit per employee to businesses that hire qualifying workers within a zone. That’s just for the first year of employment! Tax benefits continue to accrue for up to 60 months of employment.
There are currently 42 enterprise zones operating statewide.
The proposed expansion in Merced County would affect the cities of Atwater, Dos Palos, Gustine, Livingston, Los Banos and Merced. The largest chunk, approximately 1,707 acres, would apparently be on non-chartered county land.
Here’s the actual acres count, published as Item #48 in the Board’s formal Agenda of Tuesday.

Resolution approving the Expansion of the Merced County Regional Enterprise Zone boundaries within Merced County which includes the following expanded acreage: Atwater-72.13, Dos Palos-1.5, Gustine-39.7, Livingston, 1.69, Los Banos-19.02, Merced-36.1 and Merced County 1,707.03 for a total of 1,877.17 and subject to receipt of the expansion approval by the cities.

If I am not mistaken, the Merced County Regional Enterprise Zone currently covers approximately 42,700 acres. The proposed expansion would therefore increase the zone’s size by about 4.4 percent.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed!  I’ll let you know when (and if) the expansion is approved by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
If you have business operations anywhere within Merced County, please contact me about the generous California tax credit opportunities special to that area. I am Vaughn Hromiko, (800) 655-5281, extension 101, or e-mail me at vah@WOTCPlanet.com