Muscatine County joins Home Base Iowa communities

DES MOINES - Muscatine County is one of four new communities selected to participate in a state program designed to make Iowa appealing to former veterans.

Muscatine County, Franklin County, Story County and the city of Johnston have met the criteria to become designated as Home Base Iowa Communities, the governor's office announced Monday.

There are now 18 Home Base Iowa communities. Gov. Terry Branstad's office says more than 1,300 veterans have been hired in Iowa as a result of the program, which provides various incentives for veterans to live in Iowa and for Iowa businesses to hire veterans.

'Those statewide incentives for veterans put Iowa on the national radar,” Branstad said. 'It's clear that Iowa and Home Base Iowa is becoming a national model for the way veterans should be treated, and we couldn't be more pleased to have Iowa in that position. …

'We're proud of the progress we're making with Home Base Iowa. It has well exceeded what we thought it could be.”

Muscatine County earned Home Base Iowa status by providing incentives including assistance for closing costs on home purchases and discounts at area businesses, according to the governor's office.

'It's a great thing for the city of Muscatine. It's a great thing for the county of Muscatine. We have great communities in which to live. We have great employers who are looking to hire veterans returning to Iowa,” said Bob Allbee, chairman of the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 'I think it's a good thing all the way around.”

Iowa Sen. Chris Brase, D-Muscatine, praised Muscatine County's work to secure Home Base Iowa status.

'I just think it's great that our community is coming together, our general industry, putting together good programs to promote to our veterans, to support them, and to offer jobs for them, kind of reward them for the dedicated service they put in for us,” Brase said.

Branstad on Monday also asked state lawmakers to include in state budget proposals $500,000 for marketing for Home Base Iowa to match private-sector donations to the program.

Iowa Rep. Chuck Soderberg, R-LeMars, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said that kind of money would be a 'heavy lift” given the tight budget and very little room for new expenditures or increased funding for existing line items.

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said he believes the Iowa Economic Development Authority can find within its budget the $500,000 for Home Base Iowa marketing.

To become certified, 10 percent of businesses in a community have to pledge to hire five or more veterans by December 2018.