There is or should be an ongoing debate locally about the strategy for economic development utilizing local Emporia and Lyon County tax revenues.
Decoded that means the recent failure to obtain re-zoning of the Price tract has the Regional Development Association and Emporia Enterprises questioning the commitment of Lyon County to be a partner in their plans.
Commissioner Scott Briggs cast the dissenting vote. An RDA member as well Briggs said his vote reflected not knowing what the land usage would be and his personal feeling the RDA’s strategy for attracting jobs needed to be re-visited.
No doubt the Price tract is well suited for development and maintaining Emporia’s foot in the door is not a bad idea. But, if we plan to keep offering free shovel ready ground plus tax abatement to prospects we need to make sure the jobs attached are not marginal in nature. My suggestion is the RDA look more strongly at the quality of the jobs versus the number.
All economic development activity needs to consider three factors present in Emporia today.
First is the potential for assisting Emporia State University as our most effective economic development strategy.
Please consider these two questions:
Number 1. Which would benefit Emporia more?
Seventy new full-time students at ESU or seventy new jobs?
Number 2. Which – students or jobs – would be more difficult to attract?
Second, part of attracting and growing new jobs is having workers to fill those jobs. I am watching with interest Birch Telecom’s efforts to add over a hundred new employees. Are there applicants for the new Birch jobs? And, where are these people coming from.
Emporia appears to have a lack of qualified people looking for work.
Last is housing – if Emporia is successful in attracting new people to Emporia for jobs – where will they live? Lack of suitable housing must be addressed if we hope to grow.
Failure to address the labor market question and availability of housing for new employees might undermine the most excellent efforts of the RDA!
With all that said I hope the stated efforts of Lyon County to be more active in economic development is not viewed as a challenge to the RDA, but as a more willing partner. The re-zoning disagreement should not be viewed as a road block, but maybe as a challenge with legitimate questions needing good answers.
Hopefully everyone concerned will come to the table to examine and re-examine the strategies for growing our area. Cooperation between our units of government is at an all time best, so let’s keep pulling together.
I’m Steve Sauder and there’s something to Think About.
