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Several Area NE Ks Counties Added to State Program

By Greg Bebermeyer

07/23/2013

( KNZA )--Several area northeast Kansas counties are now eligible to participate in a state program aimed at luring new residents to rural counties with declining populations.
Lyle Peterson with the Kansas Department of Commerce met with the Brown County Commission Monday to discuss the Rural Opportunity Zone program created by Republican Governor Sam Brownback.
With the Legislature’s approval this year, 23 more counties—including Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Nemaha and Marshall—were added to the program.
The program started in 2011 with 50 counties—primarily in western Kansas—that had lost at least 10 percent of their population in the past decade.
Peterson says the program provides an income tax credit for up to five years for out-of-state residents who relocate to the designated counties. In addition, he says new arrivals can also obtain up to $15,000 in student loan repayments over a five year period if their counties agree to participate financially in a partnership with the state.
Peterson says the program can be used by employers as a recruitment tool, and they can also participate financially in the program as well.
The commission would have to approve a resolution to participate in the program. They made no decision Monday.

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