Issue Position: Economic Development

Issue Position

Economic Development in the 6th District is my number one priority. Carroll, Smyth and Wythe counties have suffered from the effects of NAFTA with plant closures in the woodworking and textile industries. Redevelopment efforts have been slow in most places as a result of a lack of discretionary money available to the localities. As a result our county governments have been forced to rely on the referrals we get from the economic development authorities in Richmond. Historically, the more promising prospects have been directed to the more affluent and politically influential areas of the Commonwealth. The lack of local money available to market and recruit directly to the industrial sector has tilted the scales in favor of the urban regions of the Commonwealth. I have proposed, and will continue to advocate for legislation, that would appropriate more discretionary money for localities to hire industrial recruiters and economic development professionals to level the playing field with other areas of the Commonwealth.

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