Photo provided An artist’s rendition of a proposed King’s Hawaiian facility proposed to be located in Taylorsville along I-65.
Fresh off landing a King’s Hawaiian facility in the northern part of the county, Bartholomew County commissioners are hungry for more development.
“The Bartholomew County commissioners have agreed to pay Greater Columbus Economic Development Corp. $110,000 annually to provide and promote an environment conducive to economic vitality,” The Republic’s Mark Webber reported recently. “That is the same amount paid for the same services by the city of Columbus. The money will come from the county’s economic development income tax revenue.”
This funding is a substantial increase from the $15,000 the county has paid each year for two seats on the corporation’s board of directors.
This is a good use of economic development income tax dollars, because it funds an organization that now will be empowered and expected to work to attract jobs and business investment throughout Columbus and Bartholomew County.
We hear a lot about regional cooperation, but this is an area where residents of the city and the county will benefit from new investments in both private and public dollars. We’ve all heard the expression that it takes money to make money, and that’s particularly true when it comes to attracting major employers.
The King’s Hawaiian deal announced late last year was among the largest the county has ever secured. It included public investments in off-site road, water, sewer and other improvements near the facility’s footprint in Taylorsville.
Webber reported that county officials “emphasized their investment of $2.7 million of reserve funds into off-site infrastructure for what’s called the ‘Northern Gateway’ is to attract other companies to German Township and serve the residents of Bartholomew County, as well as meet King’s Hawaiian’s water needs.”
It also is expected to make the area “shovel ready” for potential development in a high-visibility location easily accessible to Interstate 65. This forward-thinking is important, because commissioners say there are fewer buildable areas suitable for large developments akin to King’s Hawaiian remaining in the Columbus city limits.
There is keen interest in this area. And why not? It’s an easy drive to Indianapolis or Louisville, there is a talented workforce in the region, and the community has demonstrated a commitment to working in partnership with local stakeholders to meet the needs of major developments.
All of this gives the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corp. an excellent location to business prospects throughout the world, as well as the funding to expand our community’s visibility.
“Bartholomew County is becoming a major, major area for businesses to consider,” Commissioner Tony London said. “We have wonderful resources and are seeing successes. And I can’t imagine a worse idea than landing a few great fish — and then stop buying bait.”
And it’s hard to argue with what the old song “Fishing Blues” says: “Many fish bite if you’ve got good bait.”
Given the potential returns, we believe without question that $110,000 is a worthy expenditure of county economic development income tax revenue. The increased funding for GCED simply enables our community to cast a wider net.
