Analysis of the County’s Land Use Plan survey data shows that most workers living in the northern part of the mainland and Knotts Island drive to Virginia for jobs. The County has tried ineffectively to attract businesses to locate here and invested over $4 million of Occupancy Tax dollars to create the Maple Commerce Park. They have made further investment to help create an aircraft maintenance school.

But eight years later there is only one tenant in the park and the previous strategy seems to be shifting to try to build a tourism business on the mainland from scratch. Building a $7.5 million YMCA, a $4 million Rural Center and $6 million plus for various parks and recreation facilities is not going to increase tourism noticeably or attract even a few million in new investment.

What is being noticed is that the diversion of funds to accomplish this from the existing beach tourism business - where more than $3.5 Billion has been invested - is contributing to the decline in property values and rental rates threatening the future of this previous “cash cow.”

The County needs to re-focus on attracting high tech firms and tackling the obstacles of inadequate schools and infrastructure as necessary using Economic Development resources from its property tax revenues.