This is a guest opinion column

Given the renewed focus from state and local officials in recent years to position Alabama as a destination for large employers to open up shop, I can firmly say that our best days are still in front of us.

Perhaps no piece of legislation has provided more of a spark for economic opportunities than the Alabama Jobs Act that was passed with bipartisan support in 2015. The package of economic incentives was designed to encourage job creation and investment in the state of Alabama and, in my opinion, has exceeded expectations in that regard. In that time it has helped leverage the state’s ability to offer tax credits and other incentives to businesses that locate or expand in Alabama and create thousands of jobs for our residents.

This has been a significant factor in helping to reduce our state’s unemployment numbers from around 6.1 percent in January 2015, to around 2.5 percent as of February; that is the sixth lowest unemployment rate of any state in the country. In 2015, Alabama ranked 38th for unemployment.

Lately, the news has been coming at us so fast that it’s hard to keep up with it all. You’d be easily forgiven for overlooking the collective impact this legislation has made across multiple sectors. It’s been credited with bringing in billions of dollars in investments and creating thousands of new jobs in the state. It’s helped to attract major companies like Airbus, Amazon, and Google, and has supported the growth of industries such as automotive manufacturing, technology, logistics and medical research.

The automotive industry has definitely been one of the primary beneficiaries of the Alabama Jobs Act. The state has become a major hub for automotive manufacturing, with companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota all operating manufacturing facilities in Alabama. In order to accommodate these major manufacturers, second-tier suppliers have also flourished, supporting the growth of the automotive supply chain, and creating even more jobs in the process.

Not only has this helped strengthen Alabama’s business climate, but these incentives have played a crucial role in diversifying the state’s economy, helping to reduce the dependency on a single industry or sector while providing greater stability in times of economic uncertainty. Diversity is one of our greatest strengths here in Alabama and this legislation has helped bolster that on the economic front.

As I write this, the Alabama Jobs Act is headed quickly for its sunset date in July of this year unless the State Legislature decides to renew the bill for five more years. By all accounts, it seems as though elected leaders in Montgomery have an appetite to do so. Recently, the Joint Legislative Study on Economic Development Incentives not only voiced support for the renewal, but also in raising the tax incentive limit to $350 million. I would like to strongly encourage my colleagues in Montgomery to consider the monumental impact this will continue to have for our residents and our future.

It’s been a breath of fresh air to see this level of bipartisan support for renewing the Alabama Jobs Act and I would agree with Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton’s assessment that we’ve not yet seen the full potential of what these economic incentives can have, and what that means for Alabama’s (and Birmingham’s) continued economic rise.

Here in Birmingham we’ve turned our efforts to increasing and sustaining a strong set of workforce development investments. For too long the Magic City has suffered from brain drain — losing our young people to other large cities across the South that may offer a rosier economic outlook for them as they enter the workforce. This is a major hurdle we’ve faced in the past and I feel optimistic about the progress we’ve made.

The City of Birmingham has committed to investing $10 million over five years in the Birmingham Promise initiative, which provides education and workforce development opportunities for Birmingham students, giving them the skills and training needed to succeed in the 21st-century economy. The renewal of the Alabama Jobs Act will ensure that Birmingham — and the entire state – will fulfill the promise of creating a better future for generations to come.

Hunter Williams represents District 2 on the Birmingham City Council and serves as chair of the council’s Economic Development and Tourism Committee