Governor Gary Herbert said he has a goal of creating 25,000 new jobs over the next four years in rural Utah. The Governor’s comments came during Rural Day on the Hill in conjunction with County Officials Day Friday at the State Capitol. The annual event is sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Utah Association of Counties, with support from the Economic Development Corporation of Utah.
With the theme, “Advancing Urban and Rural Partnerships,” state officials reassured local officials from around the state that collaborative efforts are ongoing to include rural Utah in the robust economy the urban areas are experiencing. Those efforts include promoting business expansion and development into the 25 rural counties of the state through legislation to expand enterprise zone tax credits, deregulation of home-based businesses, and other incentives.
Rep. Scott Sandall, R- Tremonton, said in his short time as a rural State Representative, he has learned there is genuine concern at the Legislature for rural needs. He said, “Our urban counterparts really do appreciate what we have in rural Utah. They are incredibly open to ideas that we have to expand our economy into rural Utah and to protect, basically, our rural way of life.”
Governor Herbert noted, “The state of our state is exceptional. There are a lot of good things happening, but I recognize, stipulate and agree that there are parts of our state that are still struggling. They tend to be in the rural parts of our state.” He advised, “We’re encouraging people along the Wasatch Front to look to rural Utah for quality people.”
The Governor pointed to Health Equity’s success in creating jobs in Price. He noted, “That’s an example of what can happen and what should happen.” Founder and Vice Chair Dr. Stephen Neeleman said Health Equity, which is in the business of health savings accounts, has hired 57 people for its service center in Price. Melissa Floor, vice president of member services said based on customer feedback, “The Price team is one of our better performers.”
Criticizes boycott
The Governor chastised companies who have boycotted the Outdoor Retailers Show, held twice yearly in Salt Lake City. A growing list of retailers have joined the boycott in protest of the state’s efforts to rescind the designation of the Bear’s Ears National Monument, and state land management practices in general. He said those retailers haven’t created a single job in Utah, and he defended the state’s ability to better manage public lands. “We all recognize that the Federal Government is not perfect,” he said. Herbert listed wild horses and burros, forest management, and invasive cheat grass as examples of mismanagement. “We at the state level can do better,” he affirmed.
Herbert drew applause when he said he had met with Vice President Mike Pence and advised him that in order to have a successful administration, they should make good appointments, relinquish more control to local governments and, “Take away the cell phone from the President.”