Garden of the Gods Colorado Springs
Each week New Homes for Sale Colorado Springs discusses useful information on homes, family, and community. Covering a different topic each week, this thought provoking and educational blog is provided by new homebuilder Campbell Homes in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Those of us who live in Colorado Springs know that it is the BEST PLACE IN AMERICA TO LIVE! And, many others are also in agreement with us:
On April 22, we proudly announced that
- Forbes Magazine ranked Colorado Springs as the 12 best city in the United States for Business and Careers
- US News and World Report named Colorado Springs as one of the best places to live in American.
- Forbes Magazine name Colorado Springs one of America’s most wired cities
- Money Magazine and CNN named our fine city one of the best places in American to launch
- And of course who can forget Money Magazine naming Colorado Springs, Colorado the best city of 100 best cities to live in!
WELL THE WORD MUST REALLY BE OUT BECAUSE NOW WE HEAR THAT CALIFORNIA WORRIED!
“An average of 15 to 20 companies move from other states to Colorado Springs every year and 30% are from Southern California, said Dave White, executive vice president of marketing for the Colorado Springs Regional Economic Development Corp. “ Approximately 60 Southern California companies are currently looking at Colorado Springs for a possible relocation”, he added.
A couple of the most recent California catches are Billet Racing Products that moved from Laguna Niguel in September, and Corinthian Colleges in Santa Ana that just opened an enrollment center in Colorado Springs that will employ 600.
I called White because my recent update of California companies leaving the Golden State included half a dozen that landed in Colorado Springs. Readers demanded to know why, and rightly so.
It was a softball question that White teed it up and crushed it.
‘Every state in America is focusing on California,’ he said. ‘It’s low hanging fruit’ for those assigned to develop their local economies and add jobs.
Remember, he promotes Colorado Springs for a living but, he’s a Southern California transplant and professes to love California and Disneyland. But business is business.
Here are some of his favorite selling points for California firms to move to Colorado Springs :
- California’s top income tax is 10.55%; Colorado’s is 4.63%
- California’s top corporate income tax is 8.84%; Colorado’s is 4.63% based only on sales within Colorado
- Colorado’s worker’s compensation insurance costs 25% what California businesses pay
- Colorado Spring Utilities’ electricity rate is 4.5 cents per kilowatt hour; Southern California Edison’s is 10 cents
- Colorado Spring’s property tax rate is 0.4% to 0.5% of real value depending on location; Orange County’s is 1% (or more for Mello Roos fees, for example)
Pikes Peak Colorado Springs
‘My wife and I laugh that the only thing cheaper in California is the citrus,’ White said.
Colorado Springs comes looking for companies to lure away from the beaches and sun and Disneyland, he admitted.
‘We do have a campaign. We think Colorado Springs is a good match for companies seeking to relocate. We can’t compete with southern states that throw millions of dollars in incentives and tax breaks at big projects. Our sweet spot is small to mid-sized companies where the owner moves with the company. They’re driven as much by lifestyle as by incentives.’
Colorado does offer incentives to relocating companies, but they don’t receive them until they create new jobs, White said. For example:
- The state and city may give as much as $5,000 per job plus tax credits.
- The city might rebate the property tax up to $800 per job.
- The legislature just passed an additional $2,500 per job credit against the corporate income tax.
‘We also have asked private entities to provide incentives,’ he added. ‘A country club might waive the membership fee, or the health clubs might give six months free membership. We have a pass to various tourist sites. We don’t have the beaches but we do have Pikes Peak.’
And when business executives come to check out the town, the governor, mayor and civic and business leaders show up to greet them, White added.
Does Arnold do that?”
Well what can we say? Yes, we’re very proud of our community and Campbell Homes is proud to call Colorado Springs our only home! When you’re ready to make your move to Colorado Springs, we encourage you to make your move into a new Campbell Home!
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