Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

CCIC Looking Beyond 2000

Normally the final meeting of the year for the Clark County Industrial Council is an update of how the year has gone.

This year was no exception as CCIC President Brown Hardman told of the organization's accomplishments during 1999.

However, he challenged the CCIC board and members to look forward, past just 2000.

Hardman said the CCIC has existed for 12 years, and has seen some highs and lows.

The lows, he said, were the loss of major industries such as Reynolds Metals, Levi Strauss and having the industrial park owned by creditors.

The unemployment rate at the time was at 16 and 17 percent, with the outlook bleak.

But, the citizens of the county pulled together and passed a sales tax to run sewer to the industrial park.

This was the start of the "highs" which include several of the current industries in the industrial park, such as Goodrich, Hot Metal Moulding, Scroll Technologies and SGL Industries.

Along with these industries came the creation of more than 1,900 new jobs, with people moving back to Clark County.

This, he said, helped broaden the tax base without having to raise taxes.

The jobless rate, he said, is now below 3 percent with Clark County regularly in the top five with low unemployment.

Other "highs", Hardman said, are the obtaining money for infrastructure, the proposed learning center, the 2025 Commission, increased sales tax and the CCIC owning the industrial park.

The good, he told the members, far outweighs the bad. "Clark County has grown and flourished in the last 12 years, but can the CCIC take credit?"

The members present said yes.'

When the CCIC first formed, Percy Malone, Hardman said, talked about broadening the tax base, not raising taxes.

In 1990, he said, the tax base was $1.2 million, but now is $2.275 million, with no new taxes levied.

The total property assessment in 90, Hardman said, were $102,311,000, but are now $171,777,000.

In addition, those new jobs created are paying $35 million in payroll. These jobs, he said, weren't here 10 years ago.

"I think we've done a good job," he said. "I've been asked if the CCIC is needed and what it is. If this isn't what people want, they need to make us aware, if not, the CCIC members need to get the word out on what we've done  talk about money, not new jobs."

Hardman said had the tornado of 1997 occurred when the unemployment was 15 percent or higher, the county would have been in real trouble as people were leaving the area for better jobs.

"The CCIC," he said, "has helped bring in jobs, people, broaden the tax base without raising taxes and make life better for everyone."

He praised the efforts of the Clark County Quorum Court and Arkadelphia City Council for their help in funding, saying it's been an excellent investment.

Arkadelphia Mayor Chuck Hollinghead said he left the area in 1989 and had trouble selling his house.

When he returned five years later, there was a boom and finding a home was difficult. "This is the best thing to going in the last 30 or 40 years," he said.

Malone said the people of Clark County have much to be thankful for.

He talked of ribbon cuttings for new homes rebuilt because of the March 1, 1997 storms.

He said one woman was the first member of her family to ever own property.

Malone then lauded the different organizations involved saying they need to show up at these ribbon cuttings to enjoy the fruits of their labor or they're really missing a tremendous blessing.

He also praised the county residents for voting in the 1 cent sales tax 10 years ago, which turned things around in the county.

"We don't want to do what we did 10 or 15 years ago," Malone continued, "take our existing industry for granted.

"When we lost them we had no plan in place to replace them. I think the people want the CCIC here with the 2025 Commission to make sure things are revitalized and better than ever."

Hardman followed saying 99 has been a good year with Goodrich up and running, the satellite park almost fully operational, the hunt underway for a director of the learning center and several new industrial prospects on the horizon.

But, he said, this isn't enough. Other communities are funding their economic development offices better than the CCIC is funded. This will make it tougher to compete for industries.

Hardman continued saying the CCIC has been without a full-time director for nearly three years, and needs somebody to fulfill these duties.

Also, he added, the CCIC needs to have better and more permanent financing than it currently has.

For the past two years, he said, the CCIC budget has been about $47,000 annually, which is less than the salaries of some economic development directors.

In order for the CCIC to remain competitive, this must change, he told the members.

Flave Carpenter said if the CCIC plans to keep going after industry it needs the funding to do it. "We've been luck with industry coming to us. Word of mouth has helped and we've kept the word out. But now we have no money to mail the information with."

Malone agreed saying the organization needs to be on solid financial footing for the next 10 years or so in order for the county to enjoy reasonable growth and progress.

Were the CCIC not here, he added, much of the economic work would fall to local government.

"We need a full-time economic director," he said, "or we could start going backwards and be where we were 10 or 12 years ago.

"We need to discuss a reasonable budget for the CCIC and 2025 Commission and get where we can keep doing what the people want."

A lot of people worked hard to make the things happen in Clark County as they have, Hardman said.