Developing Howard Board Discusses Economic Development Strategies

Thursday during the monthly meeting of the Developing Howard County Board, members heard from Logan Benson of the Arkansas Economic Development Institute with some focus group suggestions following the boards recent public meeting.

Board members plan to meet with patrons of the economic development committee to discuss the creation of focus groups.

The focus groups are expected to start meeting in January of 2025 to discuss strategies to attract more industry and create more jobs, increasing housing in Howard County, provide tax education and improve the branding the county while attracting more recreation and entertainment opportunities.

Executive Director Vanessa Weeks reported a site visit was conducted recently at the Husqvarna site, however, no other information is available at this time.

Weeks also stated that the Okay site has been mapped out and they now know what portion of the property is suitable for construction.

Board members also discussed the possibility of bringing a Wet/Dry initiative before the voters of Howard County. Weeks provided a graph that demonstrated the amount of sales tax revenue the initiative has provided for Little River and Sevier counties.