On Tuesday night, City Council revoked tax incentives from four companies that failed to meet their commitments for job creation and payroll. That outcome wasn’t what anyone hoped for, but it underscores a reality about abatements: They are always a gamble. Cities give up tax dollars in the short term in hopes of landing businesses that will expand the tax base over time.

Fort Wayne’s old rubric that once rewarded companies paying employees as little as $28,000 a year — $13.46 an hour — is also a losing bet. Families on those wages cannot keep pace with the cost of living, especially housing. That’s why the council’s recent move to raise salary thresholds is significant.

The new system sets a $39,000 floor for abatement points on a rubric and puts greater weight on jobs paying $47,000 or

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