A special session of the Marion County Board of Supervisors served as a forum for discussion about the county’s economic state, and what can be done to capitalize on an upturn in local business.
The Wednesday morning meeting brought together various city and county officials, discussing the overall state of their local economies and the county-wide picture. Board of Supervisors Chair Mark Raymie tells KNIA/KRLS News individual partners are doing well, but don’t often coordinate their efforts and usually pursue their own agendas.
“And that’s a good thing, and now how do you bring that together? We’re a county of 33,000 people; we want to make sure that all of our entitles have access to county services, number one,” Raymie says. “And what do we need to do to plan and prepare for the future, to make sure that we maximize the taxpayer dollars that we’re given stewardship of? So it’s important to have discussions like this, for that purpose.”
Raymie says figures indicate that businesses see Marion County as a source of the eager and well-educated employees they’re looking for; but the area is also lacking in amenities which workers are looking for such as day care.