Aviva Will Not Be Paying Their Fair Share Of Taxes In West Des Moines

No! Not Aviva Farber from the movie Superbad, you idiot. Aviva the insurance company!

Insurance carrier Aviva is moving from downtown Des Moines out to West Des Moines. And they're getting a ton of corporate welfare from the taxpayers to do it.

How much?

The State of Iowa will be offering incentives to Aviva for moving 800 jobs from leased space to a new building. It didn't matter to the State whether it was built in downtown Des Moines or Rock Rapids, apparently. The City of Des Moines argues that they should get credit for the 800 jobs and West Des Moines should only get credit for the proposed 400 jobs due to a later expansion.

The Iowa Department Of Giving Out Corporate Welfare To Rich Companies Economic Development hasn't said how much Aviva will get, but Wells Fargo got $10 million and Allied got $7 million in corporate welfare in recent years.

The City of West Des Moines will rebate Aviva's property taxes back to them at a rate starting at 75% the first year, 60% the second, 45% the third, 30% the fourth, and 15% the fifth. WDM will also have to spend over $10 million on new roads, sewer, and infrastructure for Aviva's building. TIF money will be used.

I guess WDM needs jobs, jobs, jobs, even though the unemployment rate in Dallas County is 2.5% and falling as of July 2007.