An unnamed large employer is being recruited away from the city of Middleton, according to WKOW, putting 1,800 jobs at stake. Middleton and the employer are reportedly in discussions to try to keep operations within the city.
Discussions initially became public during a Middleton Common Council closed session on Nov. 19 that created a new tax increment district (TID). TIDs provide municipalities with the option to offer property tax breaks, often to spur new development. State law limits how much value a city can have in TIDs at one time.
A bipartisan group of state lawmakers are putting forth a proposal to create an exception in state law for Middleton to temporarily circumvent the value limits in an effort to give the city the ability to negotiate with the employer. Legislators have until Wednesday to sign the proposal, which will afterwards be introduced as a bill.
Local and state leaders have not named the employer due to the sensitive nature of ongoing negotiations.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is the largest employer in Middleton with 2,200 employees, based on In Business Madison’s annual Largest 100 Employers in Dane County list.
