ORLANDO, Fla. – Today, during the Enterprise Florida (EFI) Board Meeting, Gov. Rick Scott announced that he will propose $85 million in his 2017-2018 recommended budget for economic incentives to bring more jobs to Florida. Gov. Scott also announced that he will be proposing legislation during the upcoming legislative session to restructure EFI so the organization can get back to its core mission of creating jobs in Florida.

Gov. Scott said, “I ran on a mission to turn Florida’s economy around, and while we have added over one million jobs in just five and a half years, I will keep fighting for jobs until my very last day as Governor. I know firsthand that a job is the single most important thing to a family because it changed my family’s life growing up when my parents had jobs. I will fight for every resource available to bring jobs to Florida and that is why I will be including $85 million for economic incentives in my recommended budget for the sole purpose to bring more jobs to Florida. Whether it is for a small or big business, incentives are only given to companies if promised jobs are created. This ensures that taxpayer money is responsibly protected throughout the entire incentive process and provides the best return on investment for our state. Florida has to compete with 49 other states and global markets across the world for jobs and I will fight to make sure we have every available tool to remain competitive.

“We know that EFI needs to be reformed to get back to its core mission of job creation. During the upcoming legislative session, I will be proposing legislation to restructure Enterprise Florida. EFI is also aggressively restructuring their business development strategies with an intense focus on targeted industries such as corporate headquarters, aviation/aerospace/defense, financial services, information technology and advanced manufacturing with the goal of bringing more high-paying jobs to the state. I look forward to working closely with the EFI Board on this.

“Early next year, I will be hosting an economic summit with economic development leaders and job creators from across the state to discuss how we can bring even more opportunities to Florida. Florida undoubtedly has a lot to offer to outcompete other states for jobs wins. Our business climate, low taxes, education system, workforce, transportation infrastructure and even the weather are all variables that companies look at when considering locations to move or expand. But, we cannot lose sight that economic incentives are an important part of this toolkit.”