The city of Starkville took a big step to secure its economic future Thursday evening.
By a 4-2 vote, the city’s board of aldermen approved a proposal to issue $14 million in bonds, which will be used to purchase and build infrastructure on a 400-acre industrial park.
It is worth noting that the two “no” votes — from Sandra Sistrunk and Patrick Miller — were not so much an objection to the project as to its timing.
The site is currently in litigation — awaiting a hearing before the state’s Supreme Court — over its zoning, a case being pursued by some surrounding property owners.
While the timing of moving forward with issuing the bonds may be up for debate, the city seems unified in its belief that the industrial park will someday be a game-changer for Starkville and Oktibbeha County, where manufacturing/industry has been little more than a rumor.
Business owners attended the meeting and applauded enthusiastically when the aldermen cast their votes in favor of the project.
The plan for the property, developed by the Golden Triangle Regional Development LINK, will mean that Starkville will have a “shovel ready” site with all the necessary infrastructure in place for potential tenants.
We believe these kinds of preparations are preferable to the hundreds of millions of tax breaks and incentives that have dominated the state’s approach to attracting new industry.
That’s why we are convinced that the city and county are wise to proceed now with those plans now. The sooner the project is started, the sooner the industrial park becomes a reality.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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