Florida Governor Rick Scott is looking for ways to boost job growth in the state’s rural communities. The governor made several stops in the Panhandle Monday to talk with local leaders about ideas for their home-towns.
Scott said things are looking pretty good for the state as a whole.
“Everything is picking up right now. Tourism is up, manufacturing is up, jobs are up, unemployment is down—all across the state,” he said.
But he said that’s just a start, adding that “change doesn’t happen overnight.” And Richard Williams, the Director of the Chipola Regional Workforce Board said rural communities have their own set of needs.
“We’ve got to make sure the folks in Tallahassee realize that Mariana is not Miami and Two Egg is not Tampa. What works in those places, may not work here and so we need to get them to recognize the differences and when they’re making rules and regulations make sure to keep us in mind," Williams said.
Williams said one thing that’s helped his community is a being given a Rural Area Critical Economic Concern designation. It's a designation made by the governor that gives rural areas waivers from following certain rules. For example it could lower the requirement needed for a company coming to the community to be eligible for economic development incentives.
And Williams said rural communities have to deal with other difficulties like a longer distance between cities, and less public access to technology. Scott said he hopes to find solutions to make “good change” in rural areas. He said one place to start is by making sure to let businesses know what positive things the state’s rural communities can offer.
