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By July Danley,
President/CEO, Stephenville Chamber of Commerce / Vice President, STEDCO
The Stephenville Chamber of Commerce and Stephenville Economic Development Foundation (STEDCO) have been working together with the City of Stephenville to coordinate and improve economic development efforts in our community. After much discussion and diligent research, we believe that the establishment of a Type B Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is an important step in providing a unified, business friendly environment.
Economic development includes activities that focus on the creation, attraction, retention and expansion of businesses with the goal of adding new and higher paying jobs to increase a community’s median income, thereby improving the quality of life enjoyed by all residents.
The City Council voted unanimously to place Proposition 1 on the ballot for the upcoming May election. This measure will give the City of Stephenville the ability to increase their focus on economic development WITHOUT increasing taxes or cutting current programs or services. There will be no change in any of your tax rates as a result of Prop 1. The forming of a Type B EDC will simply designate current tax dollars to be spent specifically on economic development related activities. Whether it’s building, maintaining and improving infrastructure, or providing prospective businesses with a helpful place to facilitate their investment in Stephenville, the EDC will approve projects aimed at promoting new and expanded business development to ensure responsible, sustainable growth in our city for years to come.
Along with the Chamber and STEDCO, many other community partners including Ranger College and Erath County Builders Association, as well as leaders from education, manufacturing, health care, small businesses, banks and beyond are in support of this EDC initiative!
According to Wendell Hollingsworth, VP of Operations for Fibergrate, “When companies see sustainable economic development funding and a united front, they see that the city means business.”
Chad Decker, owner of Hard 8 BBQ, has expanded his restaurant business into three other cities including Coppell, Roanoke and most recently The Colony. According to Decker, “The support of the local EDC in all of these cities was crucial when making our decision to open a business there. From assistance with the permitting process and locating property to coordinating with utilities and financial incentives, the welcoming atmosphere and resources provided were essential in making our investment successful.”
The Chamber and STEDCO have compiled a fact sheet that addresses many of the questions that citizens may have about the ballot proposition and how the forming of a new Type B EDC will benefit the Stephenville community. We encourage you to review the document attached with this email and share with your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers and employees to help us educate the community about this important issue.
If you have additional questions about the proposition, please reach out to us and let us know! Simply reply to this email or please feel free to contact any of our Chamber and STEDCO Board Members listed below. We also encourage you to find Stephenville Chamber of Commerce or Stephenville Economic Development Foundation on Facebook to view and share this fact sheet to help us inform the community and encourage residents to vote FOR Prop 1.
WHEN and WHERE do I vote?
Early voting starts April 27 and runs weekdays through May 5 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Election Day is Saturday, May 9 with polls open 7:00 am – 7:00 pm.
All voting will take place at the Erath County Courthouse.
CHAMBER BOARD:
July Danley – President/CEO
Darrell Brown – Chair
Tarleton State University
Steve Patterson – Chair Elect
The Patterson Agency
Ilda Martinez– Vice Chair
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital
Wendell Hollingsworth – Past Chair
Fibergrate Composite Structures
Kim Pack Wilson – Finance Chair
Fraser, Wilson & Bryan, PC
John Baxter
Baxter Chemical
Greg Bruner
Bruner Motors, Inc.
L.V. Coffee
Texas Bank
Ed Dittfurth
Cornerstone Church
Karen Hobbs
Ark Veterinary Hospital
Greg Hubbard
Hubbard Orthodontics
Dr. Whit Weems
Tarleton State University
STEDCO BOARD:
Willy DeJong– President
Hidden View Dairy
Wendell Hollingsworth – Vice President
Fibergrate Composite Structures
Christopher Leu– Vice President
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital
July Danley – Vice President
Stephenville Chamber of Commerce
Ron Wulf – Treasurer
Boucher, Morgan & Young, CPAs
Ron Mullins – Past President
First Financial Bank
David Baskett
Texas Bank
Austin Brown
Prime Building Components
Keith Brown
Prime Building Components
Greg Bruner
Bruner Motors
Chris Moore
FMC Technologies
Metta Collier
Collier & Son, Inc.
Chad Decker
Hard Eight BBQ
Dr. Nathan Heller
Tarleton State University
Ed Horton
Tanglewood Pharmacy
Mark Martin
Stephenville InterBank
Cole Parks
Southwestern Enterprises
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