Tennessee Bill Would Prevent Ford From Making Community Benefits Agreements

As Ford Authority previously reported, a group of residents in rural West Tennessee have formed the BlueOval Good Neighbors Coalition, which wants FoMoCo to sign a legally binding community benefits agreement. The coalition is asking the automaker to provide workers at the future Ford EV plant known as BlueOval City with livable wages, create funds to assist residents with rising costs of living, monitor the site’s environmental impact, and provide the BlueOval Good Neighbors Community Board with the power to enforce these provisions. However, a newly introduced bill could prevent that from happening.

According to WPLN, the Tennessee legislature is looking to restrict community benefits agreements in general, which are contracts forged between corporations and residents. That piece of legislation received final approval from the Senate already, and aims to block companies from receiving incentives if they agree to those types of terms. Opponents of the bill say that such a move could stifle growth, but those that support it argue that companies such as Ford are already doing enough on their own accord.

“They [Ford] have been extraordinarily active in engaging with communities to build parks, to expand the Boys and Girls Clubs, to vitalize neighborhoods, to prepare workforces,” said Senator Page Walley. “But they’re doing it all voluntarily.” After passing in the Senate, the bill only has to be approved by the governor to take effect.

As Ford Authority recently reported, The Blue Oval created its Good Neighbor Plan to further aid the local community surrounding BlueOval City, with actions and investments based on demands from the BlueOval Good Neighbors Coalition. Meanwhile, one product set to be produced at the future site – the next-generation Ford F-150 EV – has been delayed to 2027, and its total planned production output was recently slashed from 300,000 units annually to less than 100,000.