Greene County officials see change in designation as positive step
Greene County has been a member of the Appalachian Regional Commission since its inception in 1965, but the decision to upgrade the county from the commission’s distressed list to transitional status has county officials both pleased and perplexed. County Commission Chairman Dave Coder said the change in designation shows that the county is making progress in economic development, but much still must be done. “Certainly things are starting to happen. It’s just a long process,” he said. “In certain ways, it’s going to make it just a little more difficult to get some of these loans and participate in some of these programs. We’re just going to have to work harder.”
According to ARC, counties that qualify as distressed must exceed national poverty and unemployment rates by 150 percent and fall short of the national per capita income by 66 percent or less.
For fiscal year 2004, which starts Oct. 1, Greene County has a projected unemployment rate of 150.5 percent of the national average and a per capita income of 58.2 percent of the national average of $25,676. But the poverty rate of 118.2 percent of the national average is the only criteria that Greene County did not meet to maintain its distressed status.
But, according to Duane DeBruyne, ARC spokesman, the change in status does not mean that Greene County will be left to languish on the vine, so to speak.
“Fayette and Greene are shifting in categories, but that does not mean we will be less focused or expend less energy on them,” he said. “This is a way to report to Congress and the American people that these counties are moving forward, but clearly the job is not done.”
Dr. Charles Rembold, president of the Greene County Industrial Development Authority board of directors, agrees. He said the designation will mean the loss of $250,000 in funding annually to the county, but the county will now be eligible for funds for which it previously it could not apply.
“I sort of see it as Greene County moving ahead in a positive direction,” he said. “One door is closing, but another one is opening for us.”
Rembold, who said the GCIDA has been working with ARC on funding endeavors since 1997, noted that ARC dollars will be used to pay for construction of an access road at the EverGreene Technology Park, and another grant from the commission went to pay for an electron microscope project at West Greene School District.
He said he met with an ARC representative last week to discuss where the county came from and where it is headed. The commission is apprised of the GCIDA’s plans to develop EverGreene in the years to come, he said, and ARC funds may help the authority in attracting companies to make the park their first destination.
Meanwhile, GCIDA Executive Director Don Chappel said that while the change in designation is a positive step for the county, the quest to obtain future dollars will become much more competitive.
“We’ve never been in the competitive pool before, and I am sure other counties will be licking their chops,” Chappel said. “It is important that we get out of that distressed category, but that money is important, especially since Dilworth Mine just closed.”
Commissioner Scott A. Blair said ARC has helped the county in a number of ways over the years, and he is hopeful that the county will continue to benefit, despite the change in status. While he questions some of the figures that have been used to move the county from distressed to transitional status, he sees the change as good news for Greene County.
“I’m proud to be out of it,” he said. “That is not a designation anyone here was proud to have.”
DeBruyne said incoming Gov. Ed Rendell will sit on the commission and have a say in how money earmarked for the Pennsylvania counties in the commission will be spent. He said Greene County could see a shift in funding but should still benefit in ways that are aligned with Rendell’s economic development strategy for the 52 counties in Pennsylvania that are part of the Appalachian region.
“No one should be concerned that ARC’s focus will be in any way diminished by this change in classification,” DeBruyne said. “ARC is sensitive to the fact that, while these counties are not on life support, they are certainly in intensive care.”
Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this story.