January, 2005

As we enter 2005 (Is this the fifth or sixth year of the new century?  I get confused.), there is reason to be optimistic, but cautiously so.  There are signs the economy is improving.  Christmas sales are up and a recent report by Manpower, Inc. indicates more employers are predicting job growth over those forecasting fewer jobs.

But optimism is tempered by caution.  Marion was recently a finalist for a $52 million plastic packaging company from Austria.  We spent thousands of dollars courting the investment and new jobs.  By one estimate, the company would have brought as many as 500 new, high-paying jobs to the area.  However, we were informed in December that, for now at least, the company would not be doing the project—here or anywhere.  It was a gut-wrenching disappointment, especially after the significant efforts made by many people to land the project.  We learned recently the reasons for the company’s pull-back were the costs of moving Austrian managers to the U.S. for the period required to get the plant up and running and the reluctance of their U.S. customers to guarantee contracts for the company’s product.  Without assurance of future business, the company was unwilling to make the investment in new plant and equipment.  We’ve left the door open in hopes circumstances improve. 

In at least three other instances locally, we’ve seen projects put on hold until prospects for future business improve.

The struggle of our local school systems continues.  Our refusal to support local levies threatens the quality of the educational offerings in Marion City and county districts.  I recently attended a breakfast meeting with Marion City School Superintendent Bill Zwick.  He pulled no punches in discussing the future faced by the city district.  With a state takeover of the school system, which seems ever more imminent given our latest defeat of a local levy, we can expect significant cuts in honors and advanced programs.  Parents of bright students will think twice about where their children attend school. 

Already, middle school students were short-changed on books, until local doctor Jay Moodley, Fahey Bank president Carl Hughes and New Horizon’s Brian Hempstead stepped up and bought enough to allow students to take their history books home to complete homework assignments.  In the city district, said Dr. Zwick, only 27 percent of expenses are covered by local dollars—a far lower percentage than every other district in the county—and, for that matter, than most districts across the State of Ohio.  Yet, we still refuse to say yes to local tax levies.  Our property tax rates are significantly lower than other Central Ohio communities.  Our refusal to raise them to pay for quality schools threatens the fabric of our community.  We’ll have another chance in May.  Yes, the legislature should fix school funding so districts don’t have to go back for levies every three years or so.  But, we have to do our share in any case.  There isn’t a potential job-producing company that comes to town whose CEO doesn’t ask, “How are the schools?”  The answer to that question is becoming increasingly problematic.

Here at CAN DO, we’ve seen erosion of private and public sector support for the community’s economic development efforts.  For the last five years or so, we’ve been able to augment contributions with proceeds from land sales in the Dual Rail Industrial Park.  However, that isn’t a long-term solution.  City and county contributions to the organization have been flat since CAN DO’s inception—with a cut forecast for 2005 in the city’s contributions.  Corporations headquartered out of town are increasingly reluctant to make multi-year pledges.  Facing the reality of a $100,000 difference between projected expenses and income, CAN DO is eliminating two full-time staff positions—out of three.  Financial bookkeeping will be contracted to an outside accounting firm.  I’ll contract with the Chamber to answer phones and take meeting minutes.  We’re also eliminating all advertising in the next year.  Marketing will be word of mouth and one-on-one visits.  We’ll continue to do our best, within our means, to bring quality companies and jobs to the Marion area.

This community is at a crossroads.  In recent years we’ve made great strides to move forward.  We’ve developed industrial parks, improved downtown, built new schools and seen hundreds of new jobs created.  But those gains are threatened if we refuse to take care of the institutions most likely to continue the momentum.  To remain on the path of revitalization, this community cannot afford to let its schools flounder or curtail its economic development efforts.  If you believe the cost of supporting those efforts is too high, the price of a failing community is even higher.  Marion must take responsibility for its own future.  Relying on outside grants to fill the gaps is not a winning long-term strategy. 

So, let’s raise a toast to 2005.  Here’s hoping some of those projects on hold get re-started, bringing new opportunities our way.  Here’s hoping we find within us the wisdom to support our schools.  Here’s to civic responsibility and an end to waiting for someone else to fix our problems.