Lt. Governor Bolling: “Find ways to encourage economic development”
by Larry S. Chowning
“Life is controlled by those who show up.”
Lt. Governor Bolling made this statement on August 25 during a meeting on economic development with a group of area government officials from the Middle Peninsula.
Bolling wanted to know which counties were represented at the meeting, which was held at the Cooks Corner Office Complex in Middlesex.
There were no government officials from some counties, and this seemed to annoy Bolling. “You shouldn’t be waiting on Richmond to save you,” he said. “If you are serious about economic development in this area you need to come up with a regional plan to attack it. If you keep doing the same thing all the time you are going to keep getting the same things.”
Gloucester officials noted its county was more in touch with the Hampton Roads and Newport News areas than the Middle Peninsula, and had partnered “successfully” with those areas in meeting the challenges of economic development. Gloucester has successfully attracted a great deal of retail dollars from consumers in surrounding counties with businesses such as Walmart, Lowe’s and Home Depot, it was noted.
Mathews officials said their county needs more infrastructure, such as central water and sewer, to entice more economic development, and instead of promoting urban development they are encouraging such things as eco-tourism.
Janet Smith of Urbanna, chairman of the Middle Peninsula Business Development Partnership, a non-profit organization that promotes business development in the Middle Peninsula, said Middlesex County citizens and officials want to keep the county rural, and a rural atmosphere is not always advantageous for certain types of economic development.
Bolling said the state is making progress with economic development projects throughout the state, but it does not appear there is much happening on the Middle Peninsula. “Is this because you want it that way?” he asked.
Several government officials complained that because of the new Ground Water Management Act, it will take the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) even longer to process wastewater permits, which may discourage economic development.
Bolling said he and others are trying to make it easier for businesses to locate in Virginia. “We are telling government regulators, ‘We want to find one way to make it happen rather than 10 reasons it can’t happen.’ ”
Mathews officials said they have lost some business opportunities because of not having broadband internet services.
Middlesex County administrator Charlie Culley said he mistakenly went to the meeting an hour early. Culley said he then returned to his office and got tied up with county business, keeping him from attending the meeting.
No elected Middlesex official attended the meeting.
