Jacksonville City Council panels gave their support Tuesday to a surgical technology company and an aircraft maintenance firm seeking state and local money to hire new workers.

Medtronic Xomed could add 175 employees at its 600-person Southside offices. Aircraft service firm KCI Enterprises wants to employ 33 people at Cecil Airport on the Westside.

Both companies are looking for financial help, mostly through the state's Qualified Target Industry (QTI) program, which reimburses businesses after they create new jobs with relatively high wages.

The full council could vote Tuesday on bills approving the aid agreements, which involve up to $1.6 million for Xomed and $165,000 for KCI.

Xomed had some support even before Tuesday's votes by council committees on finance and on recreation, community development, public health and safety.

"This is exactly the kind of thing we need to be doing in Jacksonville," Councilman Bill Bishop told members of the Rules Committee Monday, when that group voted for the Xomed legislation (2011-485).