Big Boost on the Way for Garner ’ s Local Economy
In August 2018 , Amazon announced that it would be building a 2.6-millionsquare-foot fulfillment center in Garner on a brownfield site that had been dormant for nearly a decade . By the end of FY 19-20 , construction on the project was nearing completion , and the facility was slated to become operational in the summer of 2020 .
The center was expected to employ over 3,000 people with an estimated $ 250 million in new investment . In addition , the center will serve as an anchor for a new industrial gateway into Garner .
December 2019
The Town-owned Historic Garner Depot was moved from its longstanding location along the railroad tracks on East Garner Road to a new permanent home at Main and Pearl Streets . In an agreement with the Town , the recently formed Garner Area Historical Society will operate the depot as a museum once it is renovated . The renovation is expected to be completed by the middle of FY 20-21 . The original depot building dates back to 1902 .
February 2020
The Town Council unanimously approved a project that will bring 300,000 square feet of Class A professional office space — with some limited retail and restaurant space — to an approximately 22-acre site at the southwest corner of East Garner and Jones Sausage Roads . When the project ’ s three buildings — each 100,000 square feet — are completed , it will be the largest office park project in Garner ’ s history .
June 2020
The Town Council unanimously approved a $ 40,695,534 annual operating budget for FY 20- 21 . The budget included a tax rate of $. 4971 per $ 100 of assessed value , which was an increase of 3.5 cents above the revenue-neutral rate of $. 4621 per $ 100 of assessed value . A revenue-neutral rate is defined as the rate that is estimated to produce revenue for the next fiscal year equal to the revenue that would have been produced for the next fiscal year by the current tax rate if no property revaluation had occurred . Even with the increase in the municipal property-tax rate , Garner was projected to have the lowest effective tax rate in Wake County .
2020 Popular Annual Financial Report 9