Incentive programs are drawing remote workers here. Here's how successful they've been
The Purdue graduate, who works as a toxicologist, lived in Washington, D.C. then Cincinnati after getting his PhD. After more than a decade away, Bates returned with his wife and two young sons to Central Indiana.
The family moved into a house on the south side of Westfield in early June. Bates is one of dozens of people to take advantage of a program incentivizing remote workers to move to Central Indiana this year, amid a nationwide increase in remote work following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Westfield, Noblesville, Indianapolis, Avon, Plainfield and cities in eight other Central Indiana counties partner with MakeMyMove, a for-profit tech platform that helps communities design, promote and manage incentive programs tailored to their local goals.
'Hamilton County checks all the boxes with good schools and a safe place to live,' Bates said. 'I would've moved here with or without the incentive program, but it was the cherry on top.'
The Westfield incentive program for remote workers, through Indianapolis-based MakeMyMove, is valued at $8,000. It includes a one-year Westfield Chamber membership, a coffee conversation with Mayor Scott Willis, a kit with local goods and the opportunity to choose from packages that include tickets to family events, sporting events, a gym membership or a local restaurant gift package.
Each community has different incentive packages.
For Indianapolis, the incentive package includes memberships for a coworking space and a gym, tickets for Pacers games and other sports events and tickets for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and it's valued at $10,000. Some cities offer cash for relocation as part of their packages, including Avon and Noblesville, which both offer $5,000 in cash with other perks included.
More: What's coming to Westfield?: Sun King, Graeter's Ice Cream, Wawa and Bub's Burgers planned
'Those extra goodies help you figure out where everything is,' Bates said. 'It's a good extra boost to help people get to know the community in a more seamless way.'
Funding for the incentive programs typically comes from cities, local economic development organizations and chambers of commerce, or private foundations, according to MakeMyMove. Westfield pays the costs of their incentive packages, according to the city.
'The goal is to bring in residents who contribute not just economically, through spending and income taxes, but also by engaging in the community,' said the city's director of communications Kayla Arnold. 'Encouraging people to live where they work can help ease infrastructure demands caused by daily commuting, while also supporting local businesses and fostering long-term community investment.'
Since March, Westfield has attracted six remote workers to move to the city through the MakeMyMove program.
Noblesville, Indianapolis, Avon and Plainfield had already participated in the incentive program for remote workers when, earlier this year, MakeMyMove partnered with the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Indy Chamber to extend the program to 11 counties in Central Indiana.
The 11 participating counties are Marion, Hamilton, Hancock, Shelby, Johnson, Morgan, Hendricks, Boone, Madison, Brown and Putnam.
So far this year, the programs have brought seven remote workers to Indianapolis, six to Carmel, five to Fishers and 13 to Noblesville. MakeMyMove first partnered with the City of Noblesville in 2022. Overall, 89 new households have moved to Noblesville as part of the remote worker incentive program, with an estimated $37.6 million economic impact, according to the city.
'It is an innovative tool to attract a talented and diverse workforce,' said Lexie Rock, communication director for Noblesville. 'This program helps grow the local talent pool in high-wage and high-skilled jobs, and it is not only achieved through the relocation of remote workers but also their spouses and families.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
11 minutes ago
- CNBC
CoreWeave stock slumps 14% on wider-than-expected loss ahead of lockup expiration
CoreWeave's stock dropped 14% after the renter of artificial intelligence data centers reported a bigger-than-expected loss. In its second quarterly financial results as a public company, CoreWeave reported an adjusted loss of 27 cents per share, compared to a 21-cent loss per share expected by analysts polled by LSEG. CoreWeave's results came as the lock-up period following its initial public offering is set to expire Thursday evening and potentially add volatility to shares. The term refers to a set period of time following a market debut when insiders are restricted from selling shares. "We remain constructive long term and are encouraged by today's data points, but see near-term upside capped by the potential CORZ related dilution and uncertainty, and the pending lock-up expiration on Thursday," wrote analysts at Stifel, referencing the recent acquisition of Core Scientific. Shares of Core Scientific fell 7% Wednesday. In the current quarter, the company projects $1.26 billion to $1.30 billion in revenue. Analysts polled by LSEG forecasted $1.25 billion. CoreWeave also lifted 2025 revenue guidance to between $5.15 billion and $5.35, up from a $4.9 billion to $5.1 billion forecast provided in May and above a $5.05 billion estimate. Some analysts were hoping for stronger guidance given the stock's massive surge since going public in March. Others highlighted light capital expenditures guidance and a delay in some spending until the fourth quarter as a potential point of weakness. "This delay in capex highlights the uncertainty around deployment time; as go-live timing is pushed, in-period revenue recognition will be smaller," wrote analysts at Morgan Stanley. The AI infrastructure provider said revenue more than tripled from a year ago to $1.21 billion as it continues to benefit from surging AI demand. That also surpassed a $1.08 billion forecast from Wall Street. Finance chief Nitin Agrawal also said during a call with analysts that demand outweighs supply. The New Jersey-based company, whose customers include OpenAI, Microsoft and Nvidia, also said it has recently signed expansion deals with hyperscale customers. CoreWeave acquired AI model monitoring startup Weights and Biases for $1.4 billion during the period and said it finished the quarter with a $30.1 billion revenue backlog.
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tariff revenue fails to curb US deficit as July spending hits record highs
The US federal deficit surged to $291 billion (€248bn) in July, marking a 19% increase from the same month last year and one of the biggest jumps in recent years, according to Treasury Department data. It's the largest spending total ever recorded for the month of July, though some other months—particularly during the peak of COVID-19 stimulus—saw even higher outlays overall. Even though the country is now earning more from tariffs—customs receipts were multiplied by four, going from about $7.1 billion (€6.06bn) in July 2024 to roughly $27.7 billion (€23.7bn) this year—this was not enough to offset a sharp rise in spending. Why is the US federal deficit increasing? Spending rose as bigger Social Security checks, increased Medicare and Medicaid costs, and higher interest payments on the national debt combined with pricier defence, education and healthcare programs, pushing the July deficit to a record high. The July figure follows a volatile stretch in the federal government's monthly balances, driven in part by new import duties and the quirks of the fiscal calendar. Related Get rich quick: Vietnam wants to become Asia's next 'tiger economy' - here's how Conservative-leaning AI platform Perplexity makes shock bid to buy 'rival' Google Chrome In May, the deficit narrowed to $316 billion (€269.8bn), or $219 billion (€187bn) when adjusted for timing differences, as tariff revenue from newly imposed import taxes provided an early windfall. June appeared at first to show a rare surplus, but this was largely an illusion—when adjusted for payment shifts, the month actually posted a $71 billion (€60.6bn) deficit. July's return to a deep shortfall underscores a broader fiscal reality. Namely, while tariffs have injected tens of billions into the Treasury in recent months, they have not changed the structural imbalance between revenue and expenditure. Spending has continued to outpace receipts, even amid healthy customs income. June's brief surplus aside, the government's shortfall remains substantial, with one-off revenue boosts from tariffs unable to contain the impact of persistent, broad-based spending growth. As the Treasury's figures show, even months of record customs collections have done little to slow the pace of red ink.
Fox News
33 minutes ago
- Fox News
Treasury sanctions 'brutally violent' cartel for timeshare fraud in tourist destination, warns Americans
FIRST ON FOX: The Treasury Department sanctioned a network of individuals linked to a "brutally violent" cartel for hundreds of millions of dollars of timeshare fraud targeting Americans in popular tourist destination Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Fox News Digital has learned. The Treasury Department is now warning current U.S.-based owners of timeshares and those considering the purchase of a Mexico-based timeshare, to conduct "appropriate due diligence." Officials warn that the scams often target older Americans who can lose their life savings. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on four Mexican individuals and 13 Mexican companies linked to timeshare fraud led by the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). The individuals linked to the fraud are based in or near Puerto Vallarta. "We are coming for terrorist drug cartels like Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion that are flooding our country with fentanyl," Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement. "These cartels continue to create new ways to generate revenue to fuel their terrorist operations. At President Trump's direction, we will continue our effort to completely eradicate the cartels' ability to generate revenue, including their efforts to prey on elderly Americans through timeshare fraud." The three senior CJNG members most involved in timeshare fraud sanctioned Wednesday are Julio Cesar Montero Pinzon (Montero), Carlos Andres Rivera Varela (Rivera), and Francisco Javier Gudino Haro (Gudino). Additionally, Puerto Vallarta native Michael Ibarra Diaz Jr. (Ibarra) was sanctioned. Treasury says Ibarra is "engaged in timeshare fraud on behalf of CJNG." The companies sanctioned are Akali Realtors, Centro Mediador De La Costa, S.A. de C.V., Corporativo Integral De La Costa, S.A. de C.V., Corporativo Costa Norte, S.A. de C.V., and Sunmex Travel, S. de R.L. De C.V. They "explicitly acknowledge their involvement in the timeshare industry." Another company involved in timeshare-related transactions that was sanctioned is TTR Go, S.A. de C.V. They claim only to be a travel agency. Three additional companies were sanctioned for their alleged real estate activities: Inmobiliaria Integral Del Puerto, S.A. de C.V., KVY Bucerias, S.A. de C.V., and Servicios Inmobiliarios Ibadi, S.A. de C.V. "This diverse corporate network also includes tour operators (Fishing Are Us, S. De R.L. de C.V.; Santamaria Cruise, S. de R.L. de C.V.), an automotive service company (Laminado Profesional Automotriz Elte, S.A. de C.V.), and an accounting firm (Consultorias Profesionales Almida, S.A. de C.V.). Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Officials said the cartel is increasingly supplementing its drug trafficking proceeds with alternative revenue streams like timeshare fraud and fuel theft. "Treasury has taken a series of actions targeting the diverse revenue streams benefitting the cartels, including fuel theft, human smuggling, extortion, and fraud," the Treasury Department said. "As Treasury and its partners seek to disrupt the cartels' revenue streams, it is important to remind current owners of timeshares in Mexico: If an unsolicited purchase or rental offer seems too good to be true, it probably is." Treasury added: "Those considering the purchase of a timeshare in Mexico should conduct appropriate due diligence." Officials said Mexico-based cartels have been targeting U.S. owners of timeshares through call centers in Mexico staffed by telemarketers in fluent English. Officials said that beginning in 2012, CJNG took control of timeshare fraud schemes in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, and the surrounding area. The scams often target older Americans "who can lose their live savings," officials warned, adding that the lifecycle of the scams can "last years, resulting in financial and emotional devastation of the victims while enriching cartels like CJNG." Officials said the cartels typically obtain information about U.S. owners of timeshares in Mexico from "complicit insiders at timeshare resorts." "After obtaining information on timeshare owners, the cartels, through their call centers, contact victims by phone or email and claim to be U.S.-based third-party timeshare brokers, attorneys, or sales representatives in the timeshare, travel, real estate, or financial services industries," the Treasury Department said. Officials explained that the fraud may include timeshare exit scams, or resale scams, timeshare re-rent scams, and timeshare investment scams. "The common theme is that victims are asked to pay advance 'fees' and 'taxes' before receiving money supposedly owed to them," officials warned. "This money never comes, and the victims are continuously told to send these 'fees' and 'taxes' via international wire transfers to accounts held at Mexican banks and brokerage houses." After initial scams, officials warn that "re-victimization scams can occur." In July 2024, Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the FBI issued a joint-notice on the timeshare fraud associated with Mexico-based cartels and criminal organizations. In the six month period following that notice, FinCEN received more than 250 Suspicious Activity Reports, and filers reported approximately 1,300 transactions totaling $23.1 million, sent primarily from U.S. based individuals to counterparties in Mexico. Based on FinCEN's analysis, U.S. fraud victims sent an average of $28,912 and a median amount of $10,000 per transaction to the suspected scammers since July 2024. The FBI says approximately 6,000 U.S. victims reported losing nearly $300 million between 2019 and 2023 to timeshare fraud schemes in Mexico. But officials said that figure "likely underestimates total losses, as the FBI believes the vast majority of victims not report the scam due to embarrassment, among other reasons."
