A number of Tallahassee government, business, and community leaders headed to Greenville, S.C. this week on a fact finding tour that is scheduled to last until Wednesday.
One of the reported purposes of the trip is to determine if there are any economic development ideas being implemented in Greenville that can be replicated here in Tallahassee.
This trip comes just ahead of the initial collection of Blueprint economic tax dollars that will begin in 2020.
Listed below is a comparison and analysis of nonfarm employment profiles for both the Tallahassee and Greenville Metropolitan Statistical Area’s (MSA).
The first chart reflects employment growth for the Tallahassee MSA. The chart shows that the level of nonfarm employment in 2019 has increased 8.5% from 2009. The number of jobs in 2009 was 172,600 compared to 187,300 in 2019.
The second chart, of the Greenville MSA, shows that the level of nonfarm employment in 2019 has increased 19.3% from 2009. The number of jobs in 2009 was 361,600 compared to 430,600 in 2019.
The comparison during this time frame shows the Greenville MSA growing twice as fast as the Tallahassee MSA.
However, the graph below shows that the Tallahassee MSA did not begin the employment recovery from the Great Recession until mid-2013.
Since mid- 2013, the Tallahassee MSA has experienced a 10.7% increase in nonfarm employment growth compared to 12.3% growth in the Greenville MSA.
An analysis of the job numbers before and after the Great Recession shows that the Tallahassee MSA lost 7% of nonfarm employment over a 3.5 year period beginning in 2008. In contrast, the Greenville MSA lost 10% of nonfarm employment in a 1.75 year period beginning in 2008.
The means the Greenville MSA lost more jobs in the Great Recession than the Tallahassee MSA, but over a shorter period of time. The Greenville MSA economoy experienced a quicker recovery than the Tallahassee MSA.
This faster recovery is explains why the Greenville MSA nonfarm level of employment in 2019 is 12% higher than the pre-recession level, while the Tallahassee MSA level of employment in 2019 is 4.7% higher when compared to pre-recession levels.
The question for Tallahassee’s leaders this week, is what characteristics have made the Greenville MSA economy more resilient after the great recession?
* Another* fact-finding tour?????? Didn’t they already go to Austin, TX and Boulder, Co.? And perhaps other cities that I can’t recall?
And nothing happened.
"This trip comes just ahead of the initial collection of Blueprint economic tax dollars that will begin in 2020."
There is your problem. Those tax dollars used to be in the economy and spread throughout the city. Now they have been removed from the economy for a government entity to somehow believe they can better spend it.
Repeal the 1% sales tax.
Tallahassee is already a "COMPANY TOWN" and that company is "The State" which is a big money generator here, year round, 24/7. There is no need to advertise, spend "feed money", or make junkets anywhere to get it: it's here. Hundreds of state agencies pay rent on hundreds of offices in locally owned buildings all over town. Thousands of state employees are paid using funds that came from outside of the city/county which would be a dream for most other cities. Leon county is a wealthy island in the midst of the surrounding counties and to see what Leon might be without 'the state' simply look at the 'tax base' of counties such as Wakulla, LIberty, Taylor, Jefferson. There but for the 'state' goes Leon.
There is no need for "junkets" or spending money to see how others do it, unless it's to go somewhere and see how they spend their tax revenues on 'amenities' that private companies could and should do themselves. We've seen how local 'officials' have created money-pit boondoggles especially on the 'south side' only meant to keep what they consider their solid 'voter base' coddled.
In this case, "dave" above has the best comment, that; "Everything they find, they can get from the Internet".
If I wanted to live in Greenville I'd move. Those idiots are just wasting our money on nonsense.
Who are the Tallahassee government, business and community leaders that went? Everything they find, they can get from the Internet.
Maybe we can have them take a trip to a city in Florida next time. There are plenty of places here in our home state that are doing great things.
If it's a one-way trip, I'm all for it.
Greenville invested in real business and industry. Blueprint Tallahasee has only invested in excess apartments, parks, etc. but no real industry or sustained employment except Danfoss. And they gave away the farm in breaks.
Are our governmental leaders paying their own way?
If not, why?
Boulder.
Chattanooga.
Nashville.
Now Greenville?
What is it with these annual junkets? Isn't the August Chamber of Crony Capitalism Retreat enough?
Real leaders innovate.
.
Perhaps you will ask the same questions of the Florida cabinet's visit to Israel in the next couple of weeks. Oh, i won't wait because you won't ask.