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In 2011, Gov. Rick Scott offered gunmaker Colt Manufacturing more than $1 million in incentives to open a plant at a county-owned building in Kissimmee.
The agreement stipulated the Connecticut-based company would establish a factory and bring 63 high-wage jobs to the economically-depressed area.
Today that building remains empty and taxpayers in Osceola County could have to pay up to $150,000. Colt owes the state the money for renovations they made to the building it had leased from the county, but never actually used.
Now the company is telling the county to pay the state, if they want to break the lease.
Osceola County also put up $500,000 for the renovations in hopes that Colt would follow through and bring those jobs to the county.
Technically, Colt has until October of this year to create those jobs. If the company doesn't comply, it would owe the county more than $50,000. But county commissioners said they are tired of waiting while the building sits empty. Paying off Colt's $150,000 debt is just a way to move on.
"Yes, we took a chance on Colt. Yes, it did not pan out," said commissioner Michael Harford. "Guess what. When you try things and they don't work, you find things that do work, and you move on."
If the County Commission approves the agreement on Monday, the county would pay the state the $150,000, and the Colt agreement would be void. Osceola County has been on the look out for a possible new tenant and say one possibility is Orlando's Valencia College.
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