Resident Recruitment Program

Why?

Over the past few decades, Bartlesville’s job creation has far outpaced our population growth. Too many times, new hires for local companies can’t find a house in Bartlesville city limits or for other reasons, choose to live in another neighboring city. The sales tax our community loses each time an employee lives elsewhere is substantial and most all our city services are funded through sales tax.

There is also an acute labor shortage, and this program was expanded from the pilot program where a few companies and their specific projects such as ConocoPhillips’ Concho acquisition qualified,  to all primary industry employers in the Bartlesville city limits qualifying. Conversations with major employers suggests that this employee benefit would provide a competitive advantage for recruiting employees to Bartlesville industries, and each recipient would become a resident sales tax generator – A win for the company and our community.

Who Qualifies?

Any business located in Bartlesville city limits that qualifies as a primary industry.

Primary industry is defined as an enterprise bringing NEW revenue into the BDA service area, deriving a minimum of 50% of revenues from goods or services from outside the BDA service area. Each company has a NAICS manual code that helps determine their qualification.

  • Manufacturers typically qualify – they take a raw product and make something and it is sold outside of Bartlesville.
    Phillips 66, ConocoPhillips, ABB, Phillips Precision Machining, Custom Molding Services, Metal Goods Manufacturing, Service and Technology, Husky Portable Containment, Duco Pipe & Supply, VersaIntegrity, Biospec, Keeco, Rhad Manufacturing
  • Research and Development and Testing Laboratories
    Phillips Innovation Center (R&D), Chevron Phillips Chemical Company
  • Central Administrative Offices, Corporate Offices and Technical Services
    DSR, HeraSoft
  • Certain Warehouses/Distribution Operations
    Walmart Supply Chain
  • Support activities for Air Transportation
    Phoenix Rising

Does not include service industry jobs that are supported by primary industries – healthcare, accountants, lawyers, educators, retail/restaurants, construction, etc.

What is the incentive?

For new full time employees or full time employees transferring with qualifying company:

  • $10,000 cash upon the purchase of a primary residence WITHIN Bartlesville City limits.
  • $20,000 cash assistance for new custom construction of a primary residence WITHIN Bartlesville city limits.
  • $10,000 cash assistance for new custom construction of a primary residence outside the city limits but within the Bartlesville school district.

Existing full time employees with qualifying companies who do not currently reside in Bartlesville could also be eligible for the above incentives if they were to purchase or rent a primary residence and move to Bartlesville. (While this is a departure from incentivizing “new jobs”, the cost/benefit remains the same for Bartlesville’s sales tax collections.)

Renters?

A significant number of new hires are young, single, and not in a position to purchase a home immediately upon job acceptance. With this in mind, the BDA expanded the program to include renters who are from a qualifying company. A well employed tenant provides the same sales tax revenue to the city as a homeowner.

Any new or existing employee from a qualifying company who chooses to move TO Bartlesville and rent their primary residence, with a minimum six-month lease commitment, will qualify for $2,500.

Further, to drive resident retention they could carry forward the remaining $7,500 should they want to convert and become a Bartlesville home owner at later date (if funds are still available.)

What is the Process?

We want to keep the program SIMPLE. Applicants should initially be referred by their company’s HR manager or owner of the qualifying company by emailing the Chamber at reception@bartlesville.com and CC in the employee.  In all cases, the company representative will be required to verify, in writing, that the applicant is:

  • Joining the company in a fulltime capacity from outside Bartlesville city limits

Or

  • Currently employed in a fulltime capacity at the company, but currently lives outside of Bartlesville school district.
  • Employee will need to provide most recent utility bill from outside Bartlesville city utility district.

Once the Chamber has verified this information, the Chamber will be in contact with the employee and let them know that they need to give the Chamber a few days’ notice of when their closing date is so the check will be ready for them. Check will be made out to them personally. Once they have their closing papers, they need to come by the Chamber office located at 201 SW Keeler Ave, fill out a W-4 and then they will receive their check. They will be responsible for any tax consequences.

The rollout begins October 1, 2022 and it is not retroactive in most cases (i.e. someone moved in July or August wouldn’t qualify)

How is this program funded?

Through the ¼ cent economic development sales tax. That is why only companies residing in Bartlesville city limits qualify and why houses/rentals have to be in Bartlesville school district.  There is $500,000 set aside for 18 months and once the money is gone, the program will end unless city council chooses to renew the program. The BDA is the funder and the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce is the administrator. The Chamber is not funded by any sales tax revenues and no Chamber money is used to fund the program.

Questions?

Call or email Dawn Jenkin at reception@bartlesville.com 918-336-8708 or

Sherri Wilt at swilt@bartlesville.com 918-336-5991