Sloan Widgets

Sloan Widgets in Willard County

Sloan Widgets is looking to expand their operations and as a result create five thousand jobs. Sloan Widgets already provides thirty thousand jobs to Willard County. For Sloan Widgets to expand their operations, it will cost them fifty million dollars. It will take them over five years to recoup the money they invest. Hunt County is prepared to offer Sloan Widgets $100 million in tax rebates to relocate their offices and their expansion to their county. Sloan Widgets is offering us a fair opportunity to keep them in our county by asking for $50 million in tax rebates. The downside of that offer is that we will have to substantially raise taxes for our residents. As an appointed county official, I am participating in a vote on whether to agree to these terms.

When placing my vote on this controversial subject, I had to ask myself many questions. Does Willard County have a sufficient amount of businesses with enough employment opportunities to ease the transition of people being laid off from Sloan Widgets? Is there a way for the departure of Sloan Widgets to have a neutral, or even a positive effect on Willard County's economy? Is the tax hike permanent or is it only temporary? Are the five thousand jobs generated by the expansion going to be offered to our residents exclusively, or at least in advance of making employment opportunities available to anyone?

I feel that this decision is an easy decision to make. I feel that we should provide the tax rebates to Sloan Widgets in order to keep them in Willard County. The most obvious reason for that decision is that they provide one third of our residents with jobs. Their employer substantially fuels our county's economy. When you truly look at the numbers, once you take out children and senior citizens, Sloan Widgets accounts for an even higher ratio of employment in our county. To let them leave our county would damage us severely. We are a small county already. Job opportunities aren't as fruitful in Willard County. We consist of mostly small businesses. There aren't 30,000 jobs just waiting for our residents.

As I stated before, Sloan Widgets helps fuel our county's economy. Residents will have to venture outside of our county to find future employment. Our public transportation system will take a severe hit. Sloan Widgets will no longer be in our county's transportation jurisdiction. That will be less money generated for them. Residents will hop in their cars and leave our county to go to work. Who will take our buses and trains? Also, while our residents are outside of their county to go to work, it will be more convenient for them to shop in Hunt County since they are already in their cars. This will take money out of the pockets of our local and small businesses. There will already be a job shortage in our county, but others may have to lose their jobs as a result of Sloan Widgets leaving. There are local restaurants outside of Sloan Widgets offices. Many employees go their after work or during their lunch break to eat. That money will go elsewhere during lunch breaks and after work.

Of course, the downside of this all is the necessary tax hike in order to keep Sloan Widgets in our county. To balance out