Last week, the City of Sumner’s City Council adopted an ordinance creating the Family Wage Job Credit Program to incentivize job growth in the city.

Through the Family Wage Credit Program, employers who create and fill at least five new family wage jobs in Sumner after January 1, 2019 can apply for a $275 credit per new job. The ordinance defines a family wage job as compensation for an employee at or above 80 percent of Pierce County’s median annual household income. This amount excludes employer-paid benefits and pension payments. For 2019, that amounts to $52,197.

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According to the ordinance, more than 100,000 Pierce County residents travel outside of the County for their jobs. The aim of the credit program is to attract businesses to Pierce County and Sumner to lessen the need to commute outside of the County.

“It has been a desire of our current County Executive and our current Mayor, to provide incentives to attract businesses to Pierce County and Sumner that provide family wage jobs and thereby reduce the need to commuting out of the area,” reads the ordinance.

The wage credit program has a sunset date of December 31, 2025, unless extended.

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