Empowerment Zone’s Impact

“We were one of 66 areas that were after the only out-migration designation when the Empowerment Zones were being set up in the U. S. in 1996. We didn’t know if we had enough players in each town to put it together, but we were able to put together a 3 inch thick grant application in a four month period and got it to Washington D. C. 20 minutes before the deadline” said Orville Tranby, one of the visionaries who pushed for a solution to improve economic development in the two county Griggs-Steele Empowerment Zone. The zone’s focus is upon value-added agriculture, housing, tourism, and medical services.

Initial funding for the zone was set at $4 million/year for a ten year period but has gradually been cut to $1.5 million/year. “All of the other zones were based upon poverty. Ours was one of only two; the other was in Maine, which were based solely upon out-migration. It is crazy that we don’t qualify for anything under the poverty regulations. Unfortunately, out-migration solves the poverty problem.

Keith Monson told of the transformation in the two counties, “We used to live or die from agriculture. It was a big challenge getting people to change their mind set, but now we are much more diversified.”

Griggs and Steele Counties are still heavily ag based and are challenged with a rapidly aging population. Their combined population of 4,577 is spread over 1,420 miles, just over three people for every square mile. The two counties had almost 8,000 people in them in 1970. Their median age is in the mid 40s compared to 36 years of age in the USA. In Griggs County there were 3 times as many people who died as were born last year and there are 8 times as many people over age 65 as there are in the pre-school age group.

In addition to funding for new projects, the zone has set up industrial parks in each of the small towns and provides very generous tax credits for new jobs created. The projects in Hope and Hannaford that I blogged on previously were funded by the Griggs-Steele Empowerment Zone as well as several that I’ll blog on tomorrow in Finley and Cooperstown.

Brenda Dissette, Marketing Director of the zone spent all day showing me around the zone and introducing me to the many players who are working together to create new economic opportunities for their citizens. I was very impressed.