Jonesboro Chamber Workforce Development Group Hears About Sales Tax Proposal
by October 7, 2015 4:56 pm 158 views
The community that invests in workforce development can and will be successful, the chamber’s president said Tuesday. Mark Young spoke to the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development about the proposed one-cent sales tax going before voters on Nov. 10.
Young said workforce development is a key part of the area’s growth, along with roads and economic development.
Seven-eighth of the proposed tax would go toward roads and bridge construction while one-eighth will go toward economic development, officials have said. Young said the sales tax would help economic development by helping attract business, buy land for projects and train skilled workers.
A seven-member board would also be created as part of a Jonesboro Economic Development Corporation, under the proposal. The city has one major plot of land that could be used for a major project, with infrastructure like utilities and highways a key plus, Young said.
Young said companies often look for land that is the best place to locate, with the work to land industry very competitive.
The tax, which will expire in 2026, is estimated to be bring in about $16 million a year. Young said the public forums that have held so far have been informative, with many interesting questions being asked. The next forum will be held at 6:30 pm, Oct. 12 at Nettleton Performing Arts Center in Jonesboro.
Information on the proposal can be found at the Jonesboro city website.
The chamber’s workforce group is making a difference in the lives of people, in particular, young people and their future, the committee’s chairman said Tuesday. The Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development committee met to go over its programs for the year. One of the programs, called Arkansas Scholars, allows chamber members to go to local schools including Jonesboro and Nettleton to talk to students. Plans are in place to visit several area schools over the next few weeks, committee chairman Shanna French said.
A junior leadership program is also used to help students understand what is going on around them, officials said. David Eckert said the students recently visited Arkansas State University to learn about different programs. Plans to visit city and county officials are in the works, she said.