The Business Journal and the ProPublica Local Reporting Network have partnered to produce this investigative series evaluating decades of economic development incentives.

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The Business Journal in Youngstown, Ohio and ProPublica are investigating the effectiveness of economic development incentives deployed in the Mahoning Valley following the exodus of the steel industry. If you know something about how incentives were misused or how they were effectively used elsewhere, how and why, we would like to hear from you. We’d particularly like to hear from:

  • Past or present employees of companies who received development incentives. 
  • Government and economic development officials responding to our findings, providing additional information and insights on how incentives can be better deployed and monitored for compliance moving forward.
  • Business leaders with suggestions on the types of incentives that small businesses need.

If you have something to share with us, here’s how to do it: