News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Sparta reconstituted its Industrial Development Board Thursday afternoon, after some 20 years without one.
Mayor Jerry Lowery said the board is necessary because state law dictates that any industrial development in the city is negotiated by the county commission without it. Lowery said the board will foster development opportunities as they arise and watch for any properties the city can purchase to entice companies.
“And it’ll say stuff like, ‘We need a 20,000 square foot building with access to an interstate and an airport and gas, electric and sewer. Have you got anything like that?'” Lowery said. “If we do, we can apply and talk to these people to bring this industry in.”
Lowery said he receives information every week about businesses of all sizes looking to open new locations in the region. White County Schools Athletic Director Terry Crain elected to be the chairperson of the board.
“Terry was also mayor of Spencer and then he is an expert in, I hate to say sewer, but you are,” Lowery said. “Wastewater treatment, but yeah, he’s a wealth of knowledge of government stuff, not just coming in fresh.”
Former Alderman Hoyt Jones was elected to the vice-chairperson position. Vice-Mayor Robert Officer was elected as secretary.
City Administrator Tonya Tindle said another benefit of having the board is that the city will gain more control over businesses enrolled in their Payment In Lieu of Tax (PILOT) program.
“We have to default to what the county says,” Tindle said. “We have actually, active PILOT payments right now for industries in the city of Sparta, that’s a dollar. Because we didn’t have an active industrial development board, so they gave our tax dollars away for a dollar, and we have, theirs is a dollar too, to get them to come in here.”
Aldermen appointed an all-new industrial development board to pursue growth in the city during their Thursday meeting. Tindle said Sparta has not had an active industrial development board since 2001.
“That’s a testament to how we’ve not had a vision for industry to come in,” Lowery said. “I mean really, to me that’s unacceptable, but it is what it is.”
Lowery said the board should pursue any development opportunities they find, even if the prospective organization would end up located outside city limits.
“What’s good for Sparta is good for White County and what’s good for White County is good for Sparta,” Lowery said.
