CHARITON — Governor Terry E. Branstad was in attendance to congratulate Lucas County on achieving the Home Base Iowa (HBI) Community designation.
Lucas County is now the 41st community in the state to achieve this recognition. Veterans, along with community and business leaders, were on hand to celebrate the event held at the Lucas County Courthouse.
“Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and I continue to be pleased with the momentum around our innovative veterans’€™ job plan, Home Base Iowa,” Branstad said. “Our Home Base Iowa initiative won overwhelming bi-partisan support in the legislature back in 2014. Today, more and more communities across Iowa are fully embracing the program. Continued partnerships between the state, communities and businesses will establish Iowa as a premier location for service members leaving the armed forces for a civilian career.”
Home Base Iowa continues to build in popularity and support throughout the state. This unique program is tailored to a state which ranks third in the U.S. for job creation, doesn’t charge state tax on military pensions, offers a cost of living below the national average and has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation.
According to Wallet Hubs 2016’s Best & Worst States for Military Retirees, Iowa ranks first in the nation in the categories of Most Veteran Job Opportunities and Most Affordable Housing.
Additionally, Iowa ranks third in the category of Lowest Percentage of Homeless Veterans and ninth in Veteran Health care. HBI also received a national award from the American Legion.
To date, members of the Iowa Business Council, Iowa’s largest employers, have hired more than 2,750 employees through Home Base Iowa. Almost 1,400 HBI businesses have pledged more than 7,000 jobs over the next three to five years.
Home Base Iowa designates qualified communities as centers of opportunity for military veterans based on four standards; 10 percent of businesses within a designated community must become Home Base Iowa businesses, each community develops its own incentive package for veterans, the community prominently displays the Home Base Iowa Community designation and obtains a resolution of support from the appropriate local governing body.
Lucas County has met or exceeded all of these requirements.
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Home Base Iowa is a unique, non-profit private-public partnership focused on recruiting veterans and active duty service members for quality, well-paying private-sector jobs in Iowa. The Home Base Iowa Act provides the following incentives for veterans:
• Military Pension Income Tax Exemption - fully exempts military pensions from state income tax.
• Permissive Veterans Hiring Preference - allows veterans preferential treatment in hiring decisions for both public and private organizations.
• Military Homeownership Assistance Program - provides veterans $5,000 towards down payment or closing costs of a home using the Iowa Finance Authority.
• Higher Education Incentives - provides automatic, in-state tuition to veterans, their spouse and their dependents.
The initiative is currently co-chaired by veterans Congressman Leonard Boswell and former Casey’s CEO Bob Meyers. To learn more, visit HomeBaseIowa.gov.