Some smart ideas on growth

I applaud Augusta County supervisors’ decision to hire an economic development director, a move that will increase the county’s tax base and job opportunities for the area’s unemployed. But I have several questions.

Like Pastures Supervisor Tracy Pyles, I think it’s a bit shortsighted considering the bleak local economy to pay one individual close to $70,000 when that same money could pay at least three workers to mow the county’s overgrown roads or purchase a load or two or three of salt to clear snowy roads in the winter.

Since the position has been established, I’d like to offer my views on the types of businesses supervisors and the new director should take into consideration, and why.

Many Augusta County people are vehemently opposed to mega-type businesses locating here. They argue that they don’t want to see unlimited growth, lose the county’s natural beauty or change the look and feel of rolling, wide-open spaces.

The vociferous anti-mega residents prefer and will accept small- to medium-sized companies that offer jobs to 100 to 200 employees. They’d rather have five or six smaller companies than one or two big ones.

I disagree.

For one thing, Augusta County didn’t get to its favorable life style and its stable economic position because of many small companies. It took big national companies locating here to create our middle- and upper-class environment.

In its heyday, it was the DuPont, General Electric and Westinghouse types and our homegrown Smith’s Transfer that provided generous tax bases and payrolls that made the county and its sister cities, Staunton and Waynesboro, the go-to places they are.

Those companies’ taxes and payrolls spilled over to create some of the best high schools and vocational schools around. Those schools provided the educated and skilled workers that mega-type companies and local governments need.

Another dynamic was that the Southern part of the Valley became more diverse. The economy wasn’t only agriculture based but manufacturing also.

Small and medium-sized businesses have benefits but also faults. Sure, small and medium companies create small environmental footprints and use less acreage. But history also shows a negative side effect.

Here are my impressions of small and medium-sized companies: They tend to hire mostly white workers. Those that hire minorities seldom hire them in mid- and top-management positions. In addition, most small and mid-sized company openings spread by word of mouth with first dibs going to family members and friends of workers already on the payroll. That tendency further reduces diversity in the workplace. 

If Augusta supervisors are dead set on going down this path of controlled growth I hope they consider adding a face of color to the county’s administration payroll.

The Government Center and the county needs a minority prospective, face and voice.

Nelson Graves, of Augusta County, is a columnist for The News Virginian. E-mail him at .