The Legislature finds and determines that there exists in this state a continuing need for programs to assist certain counties and municipalities in encouraging economic development, the consequent job creation and retention, additional private investment and increased local and state revenue which together insures the further development of a balanced economy. The Legislature further finds that this need is particularly great in counties and municipalities where there are located certain environmentally contaminated sites that are not currently conducive to such economic development. To achieve the combined purposes of encouraging economic development on and around environmentally contaminated sites, it is necessary to assist and encourage such economic development by providing temporary tax incentives within certain counties and municipalities to certain business enterprises.
Further, the Legislature finds and determines that the authority granted under this chapter and the purposes to be accomplished hereby are proper governmental and public purposes and that the resulting economic benefits to the state are of paramount importance, mandating that the provisions of this chapter be liberally construed and applied in order to advance the public purposes.