GOAL SETTING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

By Judy Kercheval

Setting goals begins with a vision and ends with plans and resources for reality. Local economic development refers to changes that increase a local economy's capacity to create wealth for the residents using human, financial and physical resources of that community.

We must understand that economic development refers to changes that increase a local economy's capacity to create wealth for local residents using human, financial and physical resources. In this realm, wealth refers to that which a community desires, including private goods and services, income from jobs and public goods and services. It also includes personal well being, a clean environment and other quality of life factors. Everyone will have different issues and thoughts regarding economic development. It is important that we all come together to realize an economic development plan for our City. It will take input from all cross sections of our community. We have to include residents, business, organizations and city government. It will be up to city government to take an active role in balancing the different interests and identifying goals that will best serve the community as a whole. We need to identity key issues and then make the necessary strategies to explore how to address them. By carefully designing the strategies we can ensure success.