Goshen County voters overwhelmingly cast their ballots in favor of continuing the quarter-cent sales tax for economic development on Nov. 6 by its highest percentage ever – 76 percent – and as a result, the local economy will continue to receive a boost from the Goshen County Economic Development Corporation.
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TORRINGTON – Goshen County voters overwhelmingly cast their ballots in favor of continuing the quarter-cent sales tax for economic development on Nov. 6 by its highest percentage ever – 76 percent – and as a result, the local economy will continue to receive a boost from the Goshen County Economic Development Corporation.
Since the tax was introduced in 2011, the corporation has generated nearly $700,000 for Goshen County government and businesses, according to the GCEDC website. Ashley Harpstrieth, GCEDC CEO, said the renewal of the tax will allow the corporation to continue serving the communities in the various municipalities around the county.
“We are very thankful and we are excited to keep doing good things,” she said. “Looking forward, we have a lot of irons in the fire.”
The quarter-cent tax funds are funneled into the GCEDC’s Progress Program, which helps businesses and non-profits alike raise money for renovations, landscaping. The program also has a component that helps organizations receive grants that require the organization to match the amount of funding requested.
“It’s great timing because people are just starting to understand how this quarter-cent tax works and how we put it back into the Progress Program fund,” Harpstrieth said. “We have some really good projects coming up and that is what we want – to make a visible difference in our community.”
The tax funds are also used to improve local infrastructure. Harpstreith said the GCEDC has been involved in increasing broadband access to the county, natural gas development and is actively working to increase rail access.
“Right now, we’re kind of in a holding pattern because we started a lot of big projects,” she said. “Those are the irons that are in the fire.”
The GCEDC is also focused on making the main streets of Goshen County into mainstays. The corporation hosted Third Thursday celebrations during the summer, and Harpstrieth said the GCEDC is looking to promote more programming throughout the county.
“We’re looking at bringing more programs to all of the main streets in Goshen County,” she said. “We’re working with all the main streets in the different municipalities.”
Whether the tax funds are spent on infrastructure or assisting local businesses, Harpstreith said the real victory for the corporation is that the tax money raised in Goshen County is being spent in Goshen County.
“It’s just nice to see us raise it and use it ourselves instead of it having to trickle down until we see effects from it,” she said. “People just need to remember that economic development is a marathon, not a sprint and we’re doing all the right things and laying the groundwork to make big things happen.”
