Congratulations to Buchanan County in the Cedar Valley Region of Iowa, on the Home Base Iowa Community designation. The following release was provided by Home Base Iowa.
May 4, 2016 (Independence, Iowa) – State officials announced today that Buchanan County received the designation as a Home Base Iowa (HBI) Community. Through this process, Buchanan County has demonstrated their commitment to hiring, supporting and welcoming veterans into their community. Business and community leaders, along with local veteran organizations, attended the designation ceremony held at Lee Container, a Home Base Iowa business.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds was on hand to recognize and celebrate the accomplishment. “It is such an honor to add another Home Base Iowa community to the list,” said Reynolds. “Iowa counties and cities are really stepping up to support the Home Base Iowa effort. We are so proud to offer such a warm welcome to veterans and transitioning service members.” Home Base Iowa currently has over 1,200 businesses which have pledged over 6,500 jobs statewide.
Home Base Iowa connects transitioning military members and veterans with career opportunities in Iowa companies. The state of Iowa has much to offer veterans and transitioning service members — including no state taxes on military pension, a cost of living below the national average and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. To date, members of the Iowa Business Council, Iowa’s largest employers, have hired more than 2,000 employees through Home Base Iowa.
The HBI program designates qualified communities based on four standards: 10 percent of hiring businesses within the community must become Home Base Iowa businesses, the community must develop an incentive package for veterans, HBI signage plan which prominently displays the Home Base Iowa Community designation and obtain a resolution of support from the appropriate local governing body. Buchanan County has met these criteria and are offering an incentive package which includes various discounts for veterans as well as first-time home buyer incentives and assistance to any veteran seeking employment within the community.
For more information contact:
Jason Kemp, 515.822.8951
Home Base Iowa Program Manager
jason.kemp@iowa.gov
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Home Base Iowa is a unique, non-profit private-public partnership that focuses on recruiting veterans and active duty service members for quality, well-paying private-sector jobs in Iowa. The Home Base Iowa Act provides the following incentives for veterans:
- Military Pension Income Tax Exemption – fully exempts military pensions from state income tax.
- Permissive Veterans Hiring Preference – allows veterans preferential treatment in hiring decisions for both public and private organizations.
- Military Homeownership Assistance Program – provides veterans $5,000 towards down payment or closing costs of a home by using the Iowa Finance Authority program.
- Higher Education Incentives – provides automatic, in-state tuition to veterans, their spouse and their dependents.
The initiative is currently co-chaired by Congressman Leonard Boswell and Casey’s CEO Bob Meyers, both of whom are veterans themselves. For more information on Home Base Iowa, please visit HomeBaseIowa.gov.