– FAQ –

To promote business opportunities that will strengthen and grow a vibrant and diverse economic future for Kendall County. 

Unlike most economic development organizations across the state, the BKCEDC does not receive a portion of sales tax. The BKCEDC is a Membership-based, nonprofit organization. At present, 2/3 of the budget is funded by private businesses and the remaining 1/3 comes from the City of Boerne and Kendall County.

There are 2 full-time staff members and one part-time staff member.

The BKCEDC daily operations are run by the 3 staff members. The Executive Committee, along with the Board of Directors, lead the efforts of the organization and provide direction and areas of focus. The budget is approved annually by the Board of Directors. The budget is also reviewed at four Board meetings per year, which includes several financial professionals, as well as the City of Boerne Mayor, City Manager, a City Council representative, and two county commissioners. 

No. The BKCEDC’s role is to work with projects at whatever level they are in their process of expanding or relocating. This could be as early as assisting with site location or facilitating meetings with appropriate city or county leadership to discuss the project. The goal of the BKCEDC is to recruit and assist quality projects that will increase the sales and property tax revenue. Businesses contributing to the tax base helps lower property taxes for the residents of Kendall County, as well as helps fund community services and amenities.

By bringing quality businesses to Kendall County, over time the number of family-supporting jobs will increase so residents can both work and live in their community. Approximately 13,000 residents leave the community for their job, spending money outside of Kendall County.

Economic development can also increase tax revenue to benefit the county, the city and the school districts, which in turn benefits the taxpayers.

As property taxes continue to increase, the development of commercial businesses is what will help stabilize or potentially lower residential property taxes. Having an organization lead the economic development efforts of the county is helpful to promote desirable commercial growth in a time of rapid growth.

No. Businesses may choose to locate in Kendall County without utilizing the services of the EDC. There are many times the BKCEDC office has no knowledge of a project until they open their doors. 

The EDC does not provide any sort of incentives. Incentives or abatements in Kendall County can only be granted by Kendall County Commissioners Court, the City of Boerne City Council, or both if the project is locating within Boerne city limits. Both entities have their own incentive/abatement policies and the EDC’s only role is to guide projects through these county and city processes.

No. As set forth in our 5-year strategic plan, the BKCEDC team evaluates projects prior to responding to a Request for Information (RFI). If the project is deemed a good fit by considering their economic impact, their use of resources (water & electric), their workforce demands and their company culture, then the BKCEDC will respond to the RFI. More often than not, we do not respond to RFIs due to their building size or the amount of water they plan to use.

Naming projects with a code name is an internationally used practice within the economic development industry. Companies prefer to keep their company name confidential to protect from competition and insider trading until they are ready to announce their project publicly. We respect these timelines.

The Chambers of Commerce are for existing businesses to provide support, education and advocacy. While the BKCEDC strongly supports existing local businesses, the BKCEDC’s role is primarily to offer assistance and guidance prior to opening their doors. The EDC provides connections and resources to existing businesses that are facing challenges or in danger of leaving the community, as well as those experiencing growth and looking to expand their footprint in Kendall County.

Yes. The stated industry targets for the BKCEDC are: 

• Biosciences and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
• Advanced Manufacturing & Construction Products
• Agriculture-Tech
• Design & Building Professional Services
• Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries

These target industries are stated in our 5-year strategic plan that was adopted in 2020 by a research team named Planet Texas 2050 that did extensive research on Kendall County during the strategic planning process and included input from many community members and community leaders from several existing industries.

No. The BKCEDC is prohibited from attracting residential developments per our agreement with Kendall County.