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Hillsborough officials have had a good discussion in recent weeks over how to improve the county's job development efforts. In this tough economic climate, every community in America is competing for jobs; that's why it is vital that local political and business leaders unite behind a focused effort to attract new industry. Two developments are particularly encouraging. Local governments are looking at more creative ways to offer incentives, and civic leaders are recognizing how the area's schools, decreasing crime rate and mass transit options fit into the pitch for corporate relocations.
The recent debate revolved around a narrow issue: Which agency should take the lead in promoting Hillsborough as a desirable place for business? That task — appropriately — falls to the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp., a public-private entity that grew out of the chamber of commerce's job-recruitment arm. The county needs to ensure the agency has adequate resources, and it must hold the Economic Development Corp. accountable.
The dialogue in Hillsborough has clarified the roles the public and private sectors should play in selling the city center and its suburbs. The experience has given local leaders a greater appreciation of how schools, transit and other measurements of a community factor into relocation decisions. Making a community a desirable place to live is an essential step in creating a desirable business climate. Leaders should focus on three areas as they move ahead:
Incentives. Tampa's new mayor, Bob Buckhorn, wants the public sector to be more creative in landing development deals. Cash-poor governments can bring vacant land, infrastructure investments and other incentives to the table. Buckhorn is looking at redeveloping Riverfront Park, a large swath of underutilized green space, to bring life to the north end of downtown. Though they have adopted new tax-break packages for businesses, the city and county are exploring other options that make the public sector more of a partner.
Transportation. While Hillsborough voters rejected a sales tax last year for light rail, the effort brought business and political leaders together and it left behind a framework to build on. Tampa officials are talking about building a demonstration rail line between downtown and the airport, which would almost certainly require private money. The county will need to bring back a stronger rail plan to the voters. But that should not stop county leaders from moving in the interim to expand the area's mass transit options.
Schools. One of the biggest selling points for Hillsborough could be its selection by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to receive $100 million to improve the quality of its teachers. If the experiment succeeds, the county could be a model for the nation and a magnet for employers who could use the schools as a selling point to attract and retain top staffers. The county is also looking at what it would take to make the University of South Florida more a part of Tampa's civic fabric. By addressing elementary to postsecondary education, the county could stem the brain drain of young adults leaving for opportunities elsewhere.
Buckhorn and County Commission Chairman Al Higginbotham have developed a cooperative working relationship, and the new county administrator, Mike Merrill, has brought new energy to County Center. The Tampa Bay Partnership also has played a strong leadership role, especially on transportation issues. The fundamentals for a robust job development effort are there, and commissioners need to keep it on track.
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