WASHINGTON CO. OFFICIALS DISCUSS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AT WORKSHOP

  

Washington County economic officials hosted a workshop on Monday to review strategies for future growth.

Information presented by Brenham Washington County Economic Development Director Teresa Rosales included an overview of strategic priorities: business retention and expansion, targeted business recruitment, marketing and promotion, workforce and talent development, and entrepreneurship and innovation. 

Rosales said new targeted industries currently include biomedical supplies and packaging, ag tech and animal health, value-added wood products and modular housing components.  Those are in addition to existing targeted industries of advanced food and beverage processing, as well as precision metal and equipment manufacturing.  Rosales said the intent is to bring in industries that offer higher wages in order to attract younger families and keep up with increasing cost of living.

The workshop also covered some of the tools used to incentivize development, such as Chapter 380/381 agreements and tax increment reinvestment zones.  Rosales said tax incentives are used to compete with surrounding areas that may be vying for similar projects, and that they are based on performance indicators like new jobs and capital investment that are evaluated annually. 

Additionally, the workshop detailed the steps involved with tax abatements, including holding public hearings, monitoring performance benchmarks, and ensuring compliance with the abatement terms via compliance reviews. 

Continued updates on economic projects are planned quarterly.

Click here to view Monday's workshop presentation.