Incentives

Site in the Killeen Business Park

KEDC owns a business park with developed sites zoned for office/commercial/manufacturing use. The park has restrictive covenants that have the effect of creating a buffer zone between non-compatible uses. Depending upon the economic impact of the project, land prices are discounted and, in some cases, may be provided free of charge. A map of the Killeen Business Part is attached to this document.

Build-to-Suit Option: KEDC will provide a building, at KEDC’s cost, custom built to meet the company’s requirements, in exchange for a long term lease. A long term lease is one defined as having an initial lease term of five years with a five year option to renew the lease.

New Job Creation Grants: KEDC offers cash payments on new jobs created in Killeen. Payments are made on a per job basis. The amount of the grant is determined by the salary and benefits accompanying the job. Past offers range from $1000 to $3,500 per job. Typically, a partial grant payment is made when operations are commenced. The balance is paid after an employee has been on the payroll for twelve consecutive months.

Retained Job Grants: In some instances, KEDC offers cash payments on jobs that are determined to be at risk that are retained in Killeen. Payments are made on a per job basis. The amount of the grant is determined by the salary and benefits accompanying the job. Past offers range from $1,000 to $2,500 per job. Typically, full payment is made after an employee had been on the payroll for twelve consecutive months.

Ad Valorum Tax Abatements: Both the City of Killeen and Bell County have policies in place under which property taxes can be abated in amounts up to 100% for up to five years. The amount of the abatement is determined by a formula contained in the policy.  There are three factors considered in the formula: Dollar Value of Improvements (Investments greater than $5 million receive maximum credit); Number of Jobs Created and Retained (More than 100 jobs receive maximum credit); and, Positive Impact on the Community (Impacts rated exceptional receive maximum credit).

• Tax Abatement Criteria
• Tax Abatement Application

380 Agreements

If the company is engaged in a process where sales taxes are collected, the City of Killeen can enter into an agreement, under Section 380 of the State Government Code, where a portion of the sales taxes collected for local use (1% of purchase price) can be reimbursed to the company.

Ad Valorum Tax Payments

KEDC can elect to pay property taxes at negotiated levels for negotiated period for companies not eligible for tax abatement under existing City and County policies.

Leasehold Property Tax Payments

KEDC can elect to pay leasehold property tax payments for tenants in KEDC-owned buildings, typically build-to-suit facilities. Leasehold property taxes are calculated by dividing the annual lease payment by $100 and multiplying the resulting factor by the property tax rate of $2.7757. For example, an annual lease payment of $100,000 would require a tax payment of $2,775.70.

Employment Assistance

Our Central Texas Workforce Center offers the following employee assistance: Advertising of job openings; applicant pre-screening and processing; and meeting rooms for interviewing and orientation.

Fast Track Permitting: The City of Killeen offers Fast Track Permitting for companies meeting at least one of the following criteria –

a.       Create a minimum of 50 permanent full-time jobs within the first 12-months after its expansion or relocation to the City of Killeen ; or

b.      Create a minimum increase in property value of 300% for construction of a new facility; or

c.       50% for expansion of an existing facility for an investment of at least $250,000 in taxable assets; or

d.      Be a targeted industrial, commercial or service project eligible for incentives; or

e.       Produce $2 million in gross annual payroll.

Click here for a copy of the Fast Track Permitting Process.

KILLEEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
KEDC is a nine member board appointed by the Killeen City Council, the Killeen Industrial Foundation and the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce. It is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to act on behalf of the City of Killeen to develop retail, commercial and industrial enterprises to provide employment opportunities and build the tax base of the community. KEDC receives an annual appropriation from the City of Killeen General Fund to support its activities. KEDC owns and operates the Killeen Business Park and is actively working on the acquisition and development of a new business park.

GREATER KILLEEN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization whose membership consists of approximately 1300 businesses in the Fort Hood Region.  GKCC provides economic development services to the community under a contract with the City of Killeen. In addition, the professional staff at GKCC serves as the staff for the Killeen Economic Development Corporation.

HEART OF TEXAS DEFENSE ALLIANCE
HOTDA is a regional non-profit organization funded by economic development organizations and political subdivisions in the three county region surrounding Fort Hood. The principal funder is the Killeen Economic Development Corporation. The Executive Director is COL (Ret) Bill Parry, former Garrison Commander at Fort Hood.

HOTDA’s purpose is to:
• Serve as the community’s portal into Fort Hood;
• Recognize and respond to opportunities to maintain an authorized strength of 50,000 Soldiers at Fort Hood;
• Diversify and add to the mission at Fort Hood;
• Strengthen the “One Voice” approach to speak for and about Fort Hood and Central Texas; and,
• Formalize the local and national information collection process regarding future plans for Fort Hood.

CENTRAL TEXAS WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS
CTWS provides programs and services designed to place Texans in jobs for which they are qualified and to equip them with additional skills with which they can meet the growing needs of their employer. They provide quality education, training and labor market services to give Texas employers a competitive advantage. CTWC is governed by a local board consisting of representatives of local businesses, education and community-based organizations.

TEXAS A&M – CENTRAL TEXAS
The Killeen – Temple – Fort Hood MSA has a population of approximately 390,000. It is a more diverse, young and better educated population than the state average. It also has the largest population in the state without access to public, higher education. For that reason, Texas A&M – Central Texas is being built.

In addition to meeting academic demand, TAMU-CT will serve as a portal to the professional schools at the main campus in College Station. In that capacity, TAMU-CT can incubate two emerging technologies locally.
• Defense. Coupling the university with approximately 250 defense contractors operating in the region, the Operational Test Command, the Central Support Facility creates a powerful opportunity to practice research and development and, then, commercialization in the area.
• Bioscience & Medical. Coupling the university with Darnal Army Medical Center, the Texas Bioscience Institute, Scott and White Hospital, the Texas A&M Medical School and the Veterans Administration creates a powerful opportunity to practice research and development, especially in areas of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury.

CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
Opened in 1967, CTC is a public, open-admission community college offering associate degrees and certificate programs in academic, professional and vocational/technical fields. With its main campus in Killeen, TX and over 100 other locations around the world, CTC serves over 50,000 students on military installations, in correctional facilities, in embassies and on ships at sea.
A leader in implementing instructional technology, CTC first began to offer broadcast telecourses to the citizens of Central Texas in 1970. College credit classes were first delivered by video conference in 1994. CTC taught its first online course in 1998. Entire associate degrees were available online for the first time in the spring of 2001.

OPERATIONAL TEST COMMAND
OTC is part of the Army Test and Evaluation Command. OTC is the Army’s only independent operations test organization. It plans, conducts, and reports operational tests, assessments, and experiments in order to provide essential information for the acquisition and fielding of war fighting systems.

The Operational Test Command is located on West Fort Hood in a secure location adjacent to Gray Army Airfield. Its work is done at Fort Hood and in deployment in theater and other Army installations.

CENTRAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT FACILITY
CTSF was organized at Fort Hood in 1996. CTSF was originally designed to provide a location for rapid integration, testing, and deployment of the Army Battle Command System (ABCS), which digitizes the Army’s battle command and control capability. CTSF’s mission has expanded to integrate and test more than 200 net-centric systems. This number is expected to grow as more and more Army systems become network enabled.

CTSF is populated by approximately 1,000 military, civilian, university and defense contracting employees on a campus covering more than 264,000 square feet. The CTSF test environment’s flexibility and scalability is not available anywhere else in the world.

CTSF is located in a secure area in the center of the main post. CTSF recently unveiled plans and funding to build a new campus on West Fort Hood in proximity to the new Texas A&M University campus.
 

Texas Enterprise Zone Status

The Texas Enterprise Zone Program is an economic development tool for local communities to partner with the State of Texas to promote job creation and capital investment in economically distressed areas of the state.

Local communities must nominate a company as an Enterprise Project to be eligible to participate in the Enterprise Zone Program. Legislation limits allocations to the state and local communities per biennium. The state accepts applications quarterly with deadlines on the first working day of March, June, September and December.Designated projects are eligible to apply for state sales and use tax refunds on qualified expenditures. The level and amount of refund is related to the capital investment and jobs created at the qualified business site.

 Export table as CSV

For more information visit the State Comptroller's website.

Skills Development Fund

KEDC can apply for funding through the Texas Workforce Commission to pay for customized training for the company. Training can be provided by the company or Central Texas College.

Texas Industry Loan Program

KEDC can leverage local incentive funds with state funds for projects above $5 million. Funds can be used for land, buildings, construction and equipment.

Industrial Revenue Bonds

This is a tax-exempt financing program to finance land and depreciable property for industrial and manufacturing projects. Eligible projects range in size from $2 to $10 million. Debt service on the bonds is paid by the company.

In 2006, the Mayor and City Council Members of Killeen determined that a Downtown enhancement strategy was needed to further strengthen Downtown Killeen. The Killeen Downtown Action Agenda 2007, the resulting plan adopted in February 2007, defined the collective values and goals of City government, local business owners, and other members of the community while at the same time prescribing a course of action for achieving those goals and objectives. The plan continues to guide staff and the Downtown Revitalization Partnership Committee as they work to create a vibrant and thriving downtown for the City of Killeen.

Early initiatives of the Downtown Revitalization Partnership Committee have focused on developing a program for historic preservation and providing incentives for downtown redevelopment.

For more information visit the City's downtown page.

Tax Abatement

The City of Killeen Texas will consider abating the real estate and/or personal property tax for projects which involve investment and/or job creation in the downtown area. Eligible projects located in the Downtown area may be granted up to 100% tax abatement (city) for a period of up to five years. For the full tax abatement policy click here.

Façade Improvement Grants

The City of Killeen Texas is offering façade grants for eligible projects located in the Downtown Historic Overlay District (map link). Matching grants are available on a dollar to dollar matching basis for up to $10,000 per application. For a copy of the Façade Improvement Program click here.

City of Killeen TIRZ Number Two:

Downtown Killeen is located in a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones allowing for the financing of public improvements through utilization of the increase in value due to the development proposed. (map)

Visit Downtown Killeen on the City's website.