City and county commissioners were told Tuesday that they need to spend nearly $350,000 a year for the city to become a major player in the burgeoning biosciences movement.

Members of the Lawrence Biosciences Task Force told city and county commissioners at a joint study session that they need $345,000 in annual funding — beginning in 2006 — to build new commercial laboratory space and to hire an executive who would oversee the community’s biosciences development efforts.

The task force has created a goal to add 500 new biosciences jobs in the county in the next 10 years, with the jobs paying wages that are 30 to 40 percent above the area’s average wage.

“This is the type of opportunity that we’re going to have to cause to happen,” said County Commissioner Bob Johnson, who also is a part of the 44-member task force. “This isn’t going to happen if we don’t make it happen. And biosciences is clearly the opportunity of the future.”

Task force members said the annual funding could require an increase in the property tax mill levy for either the city, county or both governments.

Johnson stopped short of saying a tax increase was necessary — he said the governments’ existing budgets possibly could be rearranged — but he said commissioners shouldn’t skimp on the efforts.

“We could do this like we have other things and put a Band-Aid on it and raise a flag and say we have a biosciences effort, but we really wouldn’t,” Johnson said.

Both commissions said they would be willing to consider the request during their upcoming budget sessions, which begin later this month. But several commissioners said they still had questions about how the money would be used and what it would produce.

“I don’t know that I’m comfortable enough to support it,” said City Commissioner David Schauner. “I don’t want to spend $100,000 to create a $33,000 job.”

6News video: Cash infusion needed for bioscience growth

The annual funding would be used to pay the salary of a new director or vice president of bioscience development that would be under the umbrella of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce’s economic development department. The position would become the primary point of contact for new businesses or existing bioscience businesses that want to locate or expand in Lawrence.

The funding also would be used to pay for approximately $2 million in debt that would be issued to build two bioscience labs — at an undetermined location — to house promising start-up bioscience companies.

David Shulenburger, Kansas University provost and a co-chairman of the task force, said the new laboratories and the executive position could allow the community to better capitalize on the approximately $60 million in bioscience research conducted at KU.

“We’re not strangers to having discoveries made at KU that are patented and turn into products,” Shulenburger said. “What we are strangers to is getting those ideas that are generated here to turn into businesses in Lawrence. Most of those turn into businesses elsewhere.”

In addition to the requested city or county funding, KU has committed to provide $80,000 in annual funding to create a new position that would serve as a liaison for small businesses looking to commercialize KU research.

The proposed city efforts come on the heels of the Kansas Legislature approving in 2004 the Kansas Economic Growth Act, which will use an estimated $580 million in tax growth from the life sciences industry to fund tax incentives, faculty positions and other benefits for universities and biotech companies.