EDITORIAL: Ann Arbor SPARK Numbers Games

SINCE 2009, ANN Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have come under intense criticism for misleading the public concerning the number of new jobs created. From the Detroit Free Press to the Lansing State Journal, the state’s major newspapers have reported again and again that the MEDC’s job creation numbers are Pure Michigan fiction. The state Auditor General released a report which showed Gov. Snyder had misled the public about the total number of jobs created by the MEDC. Revealing that Gov. Snyder had lied to the public cost the Auditor General his job.

Gov. Snyder began misleading the public about the number of jobs created through economic development entities such as the MEDC when he headed Ann Arbor SPARK. Thanks to Ann Arbor City Council members who have demanded SPARK’s job creation numbers be verified, it was revealed that during 2013-2014, SPARK had created just 169 jobs, in exchange for millions in public money. The company’s 2013 Annual Report claims that since 2006 SPARK has created 13,024 jobs. In 2006-2007 alone, when Gov. Snyder headed SPARK, Snyder claimed SPARK had created over 5,000 new jobs.

In the 2013-2014 outside audit of SPARK’s job creation numbers, it was revealed that SPARK had created 169 new jobs which strongly suggests previous claims were grossly exaggerated. The amount of public school tax revenue given over to SPARK has increased from $1 million in 2009 to a projected $2.76 million by 2017. The number of jobs “created” annually by SPARK has plummeted by 94 percent since 2006-2007.  Elected officials should end SPARK’s skim of tax revenue, and revoke the city’s contract with SPARK, as well.