Policy Studies seniors author guide to Alamance County Opportunity Zones

Five students in the class of 2019 produced a report, “Making the Most of Alamance County’s Opportunity Zones: A Primer.”

This was a collaborative project produced as part of Associate Professor Jason Husser’s Policy Studies senior seminar. The students worked together to gain an understanding of tax incentives as a local economic development policy tool, to provide an introduction to the program’s potential benefits for Alamance County, and to suggest potential actions by various members of the community. Students presented their report to the Alamance County Chamber of Commerce’s Education Council.

An Opportunity Zone is an economically-distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. The regions were nominated by the state and approved by the U.S. Treasury Secretary. Alamance County contains four Census tracts designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones. The Opportunity Zone program encourages investment by allowing investors to defer capital gains tax and eliminate some taxes on some future earnings.

According to the report, “Ideally located in the Triad region of North Carolina, Alamance County has enormous potential for growth and develop­ment… The county is home to a strong community college and a nationally recognized university… With a number of vibrant communities surrounding Alamance County, over 14,000 people commute into Alamance County every day for jobs.”

The guide can be found at the following URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z65LgeZhJ1-QyowX_zZOn5CH6fFKxUwB/view