Big Creek Utility District was among those Governor Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau announced Wednesday of three communities and two utility districts that have been approved to receive over $14.2 million in low-interest loans for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements from the state RLF program.

Tennessee lawmakers are considering a pair of bills that would require more transparency about the economic impact of business tax credits. The push for disclosure comes after a state-commissioned report showed some of Tennessee's tax breaks had mixed success, with millions of revenue forgone.

Greenville, Tennessee, officials are eyeing four potential project areas across the county and planning to utilize TIF to incentivize new retail. The potential project areas are: downtown Greeneville, exit 23 in Mosheim, beside the movie theater along U.S. 11E, and across from Wal-Mart on Morgan Road.

Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced six communities that will receive the second round of Tennessee Main Street Entrepreneur Grants of $50,000 each. The grants are designed to encourage job growth in established downtown commercial districts and are funded through the Rural Economic Opportunity Act.

Proposed cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could shut off the spigot that funds many drinking water projects in Tennessee. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan program, which funds many of these projects, gets 75% of its money from the U.S. EPA.

The former Nashville mayor and current gubernatorial candidate, Karl Dean, justified his use of Metro incentives as a way to boost the city's overall tax base. He also argued he was able to substantially increase city services during his watch--including dollars for public education--even though the city sacrificed some tax revenue via incentives.

The Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary has announced that the USDA is making loans to electric cooperatives that will help continue to deliver safe, reliable and affordable electricity to rural residents, business and institutions in nine states.

This editorial examines the costs associated with Tennessee incentives and tax credits which are used to attract new businesses and jobs to the state.

This course brings TIF deal-making and best practices into focus through a two-day program targeting the entire TIF community including economic developers, public agency representatives, bond issuers, legal professionals, developers, financial advisors, and other stakeholders. 

Join the CDFA South Carolina Financing Roundtable, in partnership with JEDA or a special one-day conference hosted at the University of South Carolina Alumni Center. This event will feature a number of economic development finance experts from around the state discussing development finance tools, authorities, resources and approaches, and how these can affect the South Carolina economy going forward.

The Intro Food Systems Finance WebCourse examines the development finance programs that sustain a local food system and how investments in that system can drive economic development on a broader scale. Topics covered include federal, state, and local sources of capital, stakeholders involved in the financing process, and case study examples that showcase the variety of financing programs.