07-03-2025
Fort Smith no longer offering monetary incentives to remote workers who move to city
FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The city of Fort Smith will be making a change to its initiative that recruits remote workers to move to the city.
In April 2024, the city teamed up with MakeMyMove, a company that specializes in the promotion and advertisement of their clients' regional amenities and quality of life to attract workers to relocate to an area.
Talk Business & Politics reported at the time that the program was expected to recruit 175 workers to Fort Smith.
Fort Smith acknowledges it misappropriated funds
The Fort Smith Board of Directors approved $224,175 for the project. Then-City Administrator Carl Geffken said the amount 'fits the primary Economic Development goal outlined in the Future Fort Smith Comprehensive Plan, which is to 'Broaden employment sectors that will drive the city's economy' by creating a quality working environment that fosters an attractive sense of place.''
The board approved funding the program in July 2024 by setting aside $250,000 to fund incentives encouraging those working remotely to relocate.
Those who relocated to Fort Smith received $10,000 and incentives
On Tuesday, the board decided to end the monetary incentives.
'They are looking for ways to cut costs so that we can make sure that we can pay for the things that we need to pay for, such as consent decree work or like sewer work across the city. That's of vital importance. Initiatives like the makemymove program are not in vital importance in that regard,' said Josh Buchfink, the city's public relations manager.
The MakeMyMove program is still active in other locations, but Fort Smith is no longer funding its incentives.
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