Economic Development Resources Panhandle Area Council, Inc. (PAC) is a non-profit, certified Economic Development Corporation organized to aid diversifying and stabilizing the area’s economy. The council serves the five northern counties of Idaho and members are elected officials and business leaders from the cities, counties and Indian tribes served by PAC. 208/772-051 Services PAC provides include: • Low interest loans • Free business counseling • Government procurement assistance • Job training assistance • Grant writing and administration • Economic development planning • Business incubator for start-up • Off-campus small business training and expanding small businesses for North Idaho College Funding programs through Panhandle Area Council (PAC): • SBA 504 Program • SBA 7(a) Loan Guarantee Program • SBA Micro-Loan Program • FMHA Business & Industrial Loans • Industrial Revenue Bonds • Infrastructure Financing • Revolving Loan Program Idaho Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) is a small business assistance program serving prospective and existing small businesses in Idaho with business “extension service” assistance, focusing on areas of consulting, skill training and information research. Professional staff, higher education faculty, private sector and professionals are available to help with specialized needs. 208/769-3284 www.idahosbdc.org The ISBDC serves small business owners/managers, expanding and start-up businesses, home-based businesses, manufacturing, retail, wholesale, service and value-added agriculture businesses. Services include: •Business plans • Marketing/advertising plans • Cost analysis •Cash flow projections • Loan assistance information • Market research •Organizational development • Purchase or sale of business • New venture analysis Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is available in Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum. TIF is an opportunity to have growth pay its own way, broaden the tax base, reduce overall tax rates and diversify the local economy. It is used as an incentive to bring businesses to a community that might otherwise locate elsewhere. New property taxes generated from increasing investments in a project are withheld from most taxing districts (except schools) for a specified period and used to repay bond indebtedness. Only new taxes generated from the major industrial investment are used to repay bonds. A $500 million investment will generate $11 million/year in new taxes. Bonds can be used to finance land and infrastructure needs, such as streets, sewer, water, etc. When bonds are paid taxing districts receive the benefits of higher values, which translate into more tax revenue. Buyers of the bonds assume 100 percent of the risk. Current city taxpayers have zero liability. When the project is complete, the additional property tax base can lower the overall property tax rates for the city. | 
