The Agency of Commerce and Community Development has revealed a second grant amount for a Canadian company it is courting but will not disclose the name of the company.
A company identified as “Canadian Prospect” was approved on Oct. 22 for up to $694,711 from 2016 to 2020 to create jobs in St. Johnsbury. The state will not reveal the name, the business’ industry or the documents the company filed to obtain state money.
The money listed Oct. 22 has been approved through the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive, or VEGI, which awards money to companies that prove they have created jobs in Vermont that meet certain criteria.
If the Canadian company ends up expanding in Vermont, the VEGI award could be in addition to $200,000 from the Enterprise Fund; the legislative Emergency Board voted to offer that money to the unnamed company Oct. 19, following a nearly two-hour executive session.
VTDigger filed a public records request with the Agency of Commerce and Community Development on Oct. 20 seeking copies of emails between the Vermont Economic Progress Council and any foreign companies seeking VEGI funds within the past few months.
The state replied that VEGI applications “are exempt from public disclosure,” under a section of the Vermont Public Records Act that says “materials submitted by a business concerning its income taxes and other confidential financial information shall not be subject to public disclosure.”
